


I Am a Part of All I Have Read

by smiley_seulgi



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, F/F, Fluff, Irene works in a bookstore go figure!, Meet-Cute, Romance, Seulgi and Irene are both bookworms, Slow Burn, Squint for moonsun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:53:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 31,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25963156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smiley_seulgi/pseuds/smiley_seulgi
Summary: Bae Joohyun is an English major at SM University who’s had quite a number of run-ins with boys approaching her while she’s out on campus reading. As time goes on, Joohyun desperately wishes for people to stop distrupting her while she’s reading on campus...until she meets Kang Seulgi, that is.
Relationships: Bae Joohyun | Irene/Kang Seulgi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 42





	1. The Bookworm's Predicament

**Author's Note:**

> This is an ongoing Seulrene fic I thought up of based on the couple times I’ve been approached by guys on my own college campus, as well as hearing stories from my friends experiencing the same thing!

Joohyun really, _really_ wished that boys would stop walking up to her on campus while she’s trying to read.

After shooing away the fourth newcomer of the week from the table she’s settled at, Joohyun pushes her black wire framed glasses back up the bridge of her nose and huffs to herself in quiet exasperation.

All she wanted to do that afternoon was get a little bit ahead of her reading for her English course. The college junior was tucked away in one of the Student Union’s quieter levels, but it looked like the universe had held different plans.

Shifting further into the sinking cushions of her chair, Joohyun returns to the page of her novel she had left off at. As her eyes flit over the words printed across the page, she reaches for her paper Starbucks to-go cup resting on the small, circular table in front of her.

Carefully, she takes a tiny sip of the still piping hot beverage, reveling in the warmth radiating through her fingers through the flimsy material. This particular winter was bitter, sending every college student on SM University’s campus scrambling to come up with long forgotten pairs of gloves and beanies stowed away in the depths of their closets.

The dragging footfalls of the latest young man Joohyun had sent away were still echoing within the large structure. He had been one of the more persistent of the few Joohyun’s encountered so far. It wasn’t that he did anything to frighten her, however.

Rather, the young man merely kept on babbling on about how fate seemed to be bringing both of them together. He talked so much that that Joohyun could hardly get a word in herself in order to stop the conversation from going any further.

When she found her voice to interrupt him, his once jovial face transformed into one of complete seriousness. Luckily, the young man hadn’t exploded into some sort of rage filled fit after she’d politely declined his offer to exchange numbers to go out that upcoming Friday.

He _did,_ however, get slightly bitter, saying that the entire encounter was merely a joke and that he’d never consider going out with the likes of someone like Joohyun. Joohyun smiled up at him, thanking him with enough sarcasm laced in her voice to make even the most oblivious understand that she didn’t give a care in the world what he thought about her.

Though Joohyun did her best to not allow it to bother her how offended these young men always seemed to be that she wasn’t interested, Joohyun soon became too worked up to think about anything else. Hastily, the college student shut her book and settled it atop her lap, slowly nursing her coffee while zoning out.

How in the world these boys got it into their heads that somehow _they_ were more interesting than the book she was currently immersed in, Joohyun couldn’t seem to understand. Seconds before the young man playfully snatched her book from in between her hands and delivered his opening line, there had been imaginary bullets soaring over her head and bombshells erupting around her.

But now, rather than standing in the midst of a fictional battlefield, Joohyun was back in reality’s embrace. Who on earth was raised to think it was perfectly acceptable to disrupt a stranger in _that_ manner? Rather than bursting out laughing, as she assumed the young man had hoped she would, she merely stared him down until he passed her book back to her.

 _Frustrating._ Refusing to think about her latest encounter any further, Joohyun tuned out her thoughts. She listened to the faint chattering of the multitude of college students relaxing in the cafeteria level above her, the clicking of shoes across the tile floor, the opening and closing of the building doors.

As for herself, Joohyun never felt the urge to bother anyone else on campus. Most of the time it was blatantly clear when other people were studying or chatting with friends or doing _something_ that didn’t need disturbance. It was just common courtesy to leave others alone, especially when it looked as though they were preoccupied with something.

However, it seemed like the young men of SM University hadn’t quiet gotten the memo yet. Glancing at her watch, Joohyun internally groaned. This latest interruption reminded her that she should start packing up and start heading over to her Sociology lecture soon.

As the college junior drags herself up from the comfort of her solace, she muses that perhaps she should start wearing a ring on her wedding finger in order to discourage any future proposals. Once she’s secured her scarf around her neck and swung her backpack over her shoulders, she pushes out into the harsh winter gales buffeting against her.

The English major is halfway to the building when she snickers to herself. _A fake engagement ring wouldn’t stop anyone_ , she muses racking her brain for any other possible options to stave off any other disruptions.

 _Perhaps a shirt that says I’m a raging lesbian?_ Joohyun considers, pushing her way towards her classroom. A charming young man looks over his shoulder at her and fumbles to hold open the door to the room for her. Joohyun gives him a terse smile, ducking into the classroom quickly. Before he can open his mouth to say anything to her, she rushes up the steps of the lecture hall and into her usual seat.

 _Maybe that’d work._ Joohyun sighs, breaking out her textbook. _Surely boys would back off if she dressed herself in stereotypical clothing like that, right?_ She wasn’t one to typically flaunt her sexuality, preferring to keep that aspect of herself private from the public. Jotting down the day’s date and the title of the PowerPoint presentation displayed in the front of the room, Joohyun glances at her surroundings.

It was a typical Wednesday afternoon. Half of the familiar faces Joohyun recognized were missing from the rows of foldable seats around her. She remembers hearing Sooyoung grumbling about it being much too cold for her to even consider leaving their apartment this morning. It looked like most of Joohyun’s classmates had the same idea.

In front of the room, her Sociology professor paced back and forth, flicking her long dark brown hair over her shoulders and glancing at her watch as she waited for their class to start. For as long as Joohyun had been in college, she had never understood the point of waiting until the exact minute the class began. She’s sure it has something to do with legalities but she’s never bothered to look into it.

Looking away to find another distraction from her boredom, Joohyun’s eyes freeze on a girl with bright emerald hair sitting closest to the door. She was wearing an embroidered jean jacket with rainbow patches streaked all across the surface of the vintage denim. Half of her head was shaved close to her skull, and when she crossed her legs, Joohyun caught a glimpse of the smooth leather Doc Martens the girl is wearing.

Joohyun knew she could never pull of such a daring look, dismissing her second attempt to finding a solution to her problem. She didn’t have the guts to wear a shirt stating her sexuality in public. Although her friends knew her to be one of the most assertive, challenging young women they knew, deep down the college junior was somewhat timid in nature around people she didn’t know.

Which made getting approached by strangers feel even _more_ stressful than it already was. It wasn’t only _this_ week in particular that young men were seemingly scoping her out. In actuality, all the years she’s spent at SM University have been littered with people trying to ask her out on dates while she was out and about on campus.

It was only getting annoying to her now that she _actually_ had to read for one of her classes and the disruptions were spoiling her dedication to studying. Shaking her head free of her thoughts, Joohyun snapped to attention as her professor began the lecture.

She was going to have to find some other way to deter people. Or maybe she should just stay holed up in her apartment for the rest of the semester. Before she could attempt coming up with another idea, her Sociology teacher cleared her throat. Snapping to attention, Joohyun began jotting down notes, forgetting completely about her current predicament.

  
  



	2. The First

“So…do you usually read books outside in the open when it’s negative three degrees?” The first boy of the week had asked in a confident voice, easily slipping into conversation after they’d introduced themselves.

Introducing meaning the two of them shook hands for an awkward two seconds and a half, then exchanged their names (Joohyun instantly forgot his). Afterwards, he immediately jumped in and began probing her with questions.

He was shorter than her, to her surprise. The young man was built lean and taut. His muscles straining underneath the fabric of his thermal long sleeve shirt, as if he were permanently flexing (Joohyun wouldn’t be surprised if he were).

His black hair was trimmed neatly into a crew cut, and his hands were coated in a thick pair of gloves. The boy looked down at her with a winning smile as she set her book down on the metal table she was sitting at beside the Student Union building.

If the English major were even a tiny bit straight, she might’ve been flattered at his approach. She’d been raised modestly, taught to be kind to everyone, and as most young women her age, secretly had her moments where she wished she’d find her Nicholas Sparks romance.

Joohyun came from a somewhat of a small town, where everyone knew each other’s names and could run into each other at the same grocery store. Once in a blue moon, she had to turn down a lovesick boy at school, but she’d never really explained the reason she’d do so.

The metaphorical closet had been her best friend throughout high school, but it was different now that the young woman was a college student. She had braved the fear of coming out to her friends and family, and despite having a few distant relatives getting upset with her, the whole ordeal went much more smoothly than Joohyun had originally pictured.

College was a way to open the avenue of love right up, or so she’d thought. It turned out she hadn’t truly had enough downtime to find someone to date. It was too easy to get swept up in the chaos of her daily life as it was, how could she manage to fit in any relationship other than the occasional one night stand?

Now, that day, Joohyun wasn’t usually one to be in a bad mood, but all she wanted to do was her homework. She also knew there was only one reason why this young man would stop and talk to her in the middle of the frigid winter air.

It was clear to the twenty year old that this young man believed he was irresistibly attractive and that Joohyun couldn’t possibly refuse his advances. Needless to say, Joohyun was not charmed in the slightest.

First of all, no, she didn’t usually frequent the outdoors when it was below freezing. What kind of maniac enjoyed the way the wind was burning at her cheeks or the way her nose had been running ever since she stepped outside?

Joohyun was waiting on her best friend, Son Seungwan, to get out of her last class of the day – and to make matters worse, the Canadian was already half an hour late. The two of them had been planning to go to one of the fast food restaurants that the strip offered them. Then they’d study together in the library until midnight for midterms.

Having had no response from Seungwan for the past ten minutes, Joohyun could only assume that either the tiny music major had been run over by one of the crazy drivers on campus, or her professor hadn’t let class out yet. Either one was likely.

Joohyun’s nature was far too stubborn to relocate indoors, despite the double doors of the building only being a mere few feet away. She had merely braced herself against the harrowing gales of winter as she flicked through the pages, ignoring the way her fingers practically refused to cooperate with her.

“You looked a little bored as I was walking by and you’re so beautiful...I just had to meet you,” the boy tried again, settling down into the seat beside her own. He slung his backpack off of his shoulders, the balls of his feet bouncing up and down with excitement.

Joohyun quirks her lips together in a half smile, one hand still hovering over the overturned novel splayed out across the table in front of her. “I see.” She’d set it down when she’d noticed someone reaching for her hand and hadn’t had the heart to ignore the young man.

“So…you like to read I take it?” The boy asked after taking in Joohyun’s nonchalant answer, quick to fire off another question to keep the conversation rolling. She had to give him props, he was a good conversationalist.

The young man jabbed at the cover of her novel with his index finger, another grin fixated on his lips. “Right? You looked in pain a second ago,” he laughed. This was a question Joohyun got from every single boy who approached her while she was buried in a novel.

You looked bored leafing through that, so I thought I’d come over and talk to you. You look like you’re about to fight your book, could I get you a coffee? After a while, Joohyun’s attributed this assumption of others that she hates reading to the fact that she typically had a rather intimidating face when she was expressionless.

Or maybe the boys were just genuinely surprised that someone in their generation enjoyed the act of reading. Joohyun adored reading with a fiery passion like no other. Some kids had sports or video games or music when they were growing up. Joohyun had stack upon stack of paperbacks. Every child has their own paradise and the library had been hers.

One of Joohyun’s favorite pastimes was allowing herself to get lost in a good book, curled up in her bedroom with a cup of chamomile tea warming her hand. That was how she’d spent an ideal evening, which she seldom got during a semester due to her part time job and her studying.

Which is another reason why she cherished the moments she had between classes, they were often some of the rare times she could crack open a book in peace. Besides, what was she supposed to look like while she was reading, anyhow?

What did those boys want her to look like while she was scanning the printed pages? Should she break out into wild expressions if the plot took a twist, widen her eyes if there was some sort of unforeseen danger, react to every little detail? Or maybe she was supposed to giggle and blush cutely if there were any romantic themes?

The idea made her scoff, and she let out a bout of nervous laughter, though not to further sate the young man’s blatant nervousness. “This is for one of my classes,” she said shrugging her shoulders, once again maintaining her nonchalance. Joohyun was wary of giving too much information to strangers and casually deflected anything too detailed.

“I mean, it’s not the best thing I’ve ever read, but I do love reading.” Despite reprimanding herself to remain careful, the next words slipped out of her as if drawn from confession, “I’m planning to become an English professor someday. I’m aiming for a master’s.” At this, the boy’s face twisted up into a half smirk, half grimace of surprise, which pleased Joohyun somewhat.

There was nothing like showing someone she was aiming for something not easily attained, that she held a drive that few did. She knew it was a kind of wild card, a way to intimidate men who thought she was nothing but a pretty face into seeing her in a different light.

“I-I see,” the boy stammered. “That’s an amazing goal to have! I’m not much of a reader myself, I must say. What’s this one about?” By this point in the conversation, Joohyun was cursing Seungwan’s name in her head, though she showed no hint of her true feelings.

If the Canadian had gotten out of class on time, Joohyun wouldn’t have had to sit through this awkward conversation while simultaneously finding a way to alert this young man of the unfortunate news for him that she harbored within her. Her lack of heterosexuality.

You see, this young man, nor any man for that matter, would never find a way to her heart because (drum roll, please), Joohyun is gay. “It’s Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms,” she says after a moment’s pause, refreshing her phone for any sign of Seungwan in vain. She flicked her gaze back towards the anticipating young man, noting the way he was sitting on the actual edge of his seat for the rest of her response.

“I’m not entirely taken by his writing style, it’s a little bland for me. I’ve got an essay to write on it in two weeks, though, so I might as well actually read it, right?” Joohyun said, tapping the cover lightly. Her patience, though she’d accumulated a large tolerance of it over the years, was beginning to wear thin.

She was freezing, even wrapped up in her downy parka and gloves, her stomach was beginning to grumble, Seungwan was nowhere in sight, and a boy was attempting to woo her enough to ask her out on a date. “Ah, I see. I can’t say the last time I actually read a book from start to finish.” He laughed, and Joohyun didn’t join in.

“Do you have class after this, or…?” From the way the young man trailed off, Joohyun knew that this was his way of asking if she had any plans, if he could take her out to one of the campus coffee houses or walk her into the Student Union cafeteria.

“Actually, I’m waiting for my friend to get out of class so we can eat together,” Joohyun said apologetically, doing her best at pulling a long face. Instantly, the boy’s hope filled expression fell, and he ran a hand through his hair. “Oh…I see! Could I get your number? Maybe we could hang out sometime if you like, get a cup of coffee?”

And there it was. As kind as this young man was, Joohyun knew she shouldn’t beat around the bush any longer. The time had come for her to let the cat out of the bag. “Actually…I’m gay,” the English majored breathed out, her words accompanied by clouds of condensation caused by the ungodly temperature.

She felt the weight of those words, as if someone had taken a hammer to her chest. Pretending as if she’d stabbed him in the heart with an invisible knife, the boy toppled backwards into his chair, holding his chest with both hands. It was a bit comical, and Joohyun laughed a little bit at the sight.

“You’re killing me,” he whined playfully, before standing abruptly, shaking his head. Although he was smiling and joking, Joohyun could tell there was disappointment glimmering within his dark brown eyes. “I know, I know,” Joohyun replied in turn, flipping her book over with what she hoped was an easy smile.

As he shouldered his backpack he gave Joohyun one last, hard look, as if he was watching his entire future flit by him in an instant. “If you ever, you know, change your mind about that, come find me,” he said, whirling on his heel and strutting up the walkway, without waiting for Joohyun’s retort.

As soon as he was out of sight, Joohyun’s slender frame began to shake with laughter, shocked that there were still people her age who were so ignorant of how sexuality works. “Oh, that was quite the laugh,” she mumbled to herself, fishing out her phone from her coat pocket.

“Yah, Yeri-ah,” Joohyun cried into the receiver as soon as the call went through. “You’ll never guess what just happened to me!” It took Seungwan another five minutes to walk over to where Joohyun was sitting, plenty of time for the older girl to have called most of her friends to let them in on the events that had transpired.

Seungwan’s eyelids were drooping ever so slightly after sitting through her French lesson, running on three hours of sleep from the night prior. The Canadian found her friend huddled up in her seat, shouting into her phone and giggling in a high-pitched voice that caused passerby to glare at her in annoyance.

“What’d I miss this time?” Seungwan asked, her breathing slightly labored after rushing across campus. Instead of getting a coherent response, she was met with a stinging slap to her right cheek just as she’d lowered herself to sit at Joohyun’s table.

The sound echoed throughout the commons, and multiple heads from the constant stream of commuters walking by snapped to attention. “Hey!” Seungwan screeched, rubbing her arm through her padded coat. Rather than getting an answer, her outburst earned another slap that sent her nearly toppling to the asphalt.

“Holy shit, what did I do to deserve this abuse?” Seungwan whined, dodging the next flying fist threatening to come in contact with her arm.

“Yah, Son Seungwan, get back here!” Joohyun yelled, ignoring the Canadian’s confused pleas of mercy as she swatted at her. “It’s all your fault I got asked out by some jock just now, I’m scarred for life!”


	3. The Second

The second young man was quite the looker, Joohyun had to admit.

He approached her the very next day, on an early and overcast Tuesday morning. This time, however, Joohyun was seated in one of red leather arm chairs on the first floor of the library. Her legs were propped comfortably up on a table and her nose buried in yet another novel, oblivious to the world around her.

There was the occasional student walking by, as Joohyun’s seat was situated near the stairwell leading down towards the main entrance and exit of the building itself. But for the most part, the building was relatively empty. It was nearly seven o’clock in the morning and well below freezing. Hardly anyone was out these days, clinging to the warmth of their dorms or apartments a little while longer to avoid the biting cold.

Joohyun never minded the frigid temperatures, they helped cut down on the wait time for her Starbucks and allowed a number of parking spots to open up. The young woman reveled in the peace and quiet washing over her. While she was a frequent visitor, there were times when the building was anything but quiet.

The library was a pivotal location for a college student to hang around, as it was located nearly directly in the heart of the campus. Joohyun wasn’t the only one who’d discovered this, and most of the time she shared the open space with multiple students.

From the way he carried himself, standing tall and confidently with a slight sway to his hips as his boots clicked against the floor of the library, the way he dressed in his expensive attire, and the way he wore his backpack slung coolly over one shoulder – everything about him told Joohyun he was well aware of his good looks.

As a bonus, the young man’s pretty features aided in Joohyun actually remembering what his name was after he’d plopped himself down into the seat beside her own and shot her a dazzlingly white smile. If this were a TV drama, Joohyun would’ve felt the need to shield her eyes away from him.

“I’m Kim Jongin,” he’d said in a voice just as smooth as the velvet blazer he was wearing, further accentuating his suaveness. He held a hand out for her to shake, his perfectly manicured nails glistening in the overhead lights.

Joohyun stared at the outstretched hand for a couple of seconds, mute and mid-chew. In one had she held open a tattered paperback she borrowed from the library itself, and in the other she was grasping at a half eaten Choco-Pie.

Joohyun could feel bile in her throat building up a bad taste in her mouth, causing her smile to falter. She quickly folded the snack up in its wrapper and set it in her lap, as well as turned her novel face down on top of her thigh. Sensing that Joohyun wasn’t going to shake his hand, Jongin retracted it with another slick smile.

“What’s your name, gorgeous?” He asked as she reached for her coffee cup. Despite his good looks, Jongin’s words still made Joohyun gag on her latte. “Is it Wi-Fi? Because I think I’m feeling a connection between the two of us.” He winked while simultaneously, as if he’d just said the most romantic thing, and Joohyun nearly coughed up her drink on him.

Once she got a hold of herself, she quickly sent him sprawling in the other direction with a few choice words, smacking him with her paperback as payback for hearing such a terrible line. With his ego bruised, Jongin hastily got up before Joohyun could give him another piece of her mind, and the library returned to its quiet, calm atmosphere.

“Sheesh,” Joohyun muttered to herself. She’d never heard of boys coming up to girls in real life to ask them out on dates before or using cheesy pickup lines, it sounded like something out of a K-drama. Did that actually work? Did girls Joohyun’s age fall for stuff like that? Joohyun wasn’t so sure, but since she had little to no experience asking girls out herself, she had no idea what the typical college girl liked when it came to being approached.

She liked to imagine that most young women were somewhat like her, preferring to be left alone rather than being disturbed. But perhaps this opinion was just influenced by Joohyun’s introverted nature, making her biased. Regardless, Joohyun was certain that there were other girls out there just like her, focusing on their studies only to be approached by young men seeking to woo them with their pickup lines.

A year or so ago, Joohyun mentioned the way boys kept coming up to her and asking her out for the first time to her mother. She’d mumbled something about it during one of the many phone calls she made home while studying in her apartment. Her mother, ever the jokester, cackled for a full minute before she was able to form a coherent sentence.

Joohyun waited patiently, head held in her free hand as she sat at the edge of her bed, for her mother to stop laughing at her. When her mother did finally manage to speak, she merely said that the young men were testing out their “moves” and that Joohyun should just shrug it off.

Ever since their conversation, she attempted to do as her mother suggested, but at the end of the day, those events still managed to get underneath her skin to a degree.

Each time something like this happened to her, Joohyun would slip out her phone to either call or text Seungwan or Sooyoung or Yeri to relate the latest atrocity in grand detail, often times bewildered or slightly fuming. With a hurt look, Jongin stumbled away from her seat, glancing over his shoulder a few times.

As soon as Joohyun was certain Jongin had waltzed off, she dialed up one of her best friends and prepared herself to spin the short tale. “So I’m sitting there…,” Joohyun begins the second Sooyoung picks up the phone. Her words are light and airy and filled with the excitement of her fight or flight instincts.

“Barbeque sauce on my titties,” Sooyoung quickly finishes Joohyun’s sentence with the iconic line of a popular Vine, giggling to herself. Joohyun lets out a long, tired sigh of exasperation from her end of the call. “That’s not what I was going to say, Sooyoung-ah. Must I remind you that Vine is dead, young lady?” The English major hissed.

She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and index finger as she sets her book face down on her lap. For once, she’s thankful that she’d had the forethought of plugging her earbuds into her phone before calling. The last thing Joohyun needed was anyone throwing her odd stares as they walked by on their way to class.

The less people that were around, the better. “Fine, fine,” comes the younger woman’s grumbling response, coupled with a lazy yawn. Joohyun could tell that Sooyoung was still lounging around in her bed, despite it being nearly eight in the morning.

Learning from past experience, Joohyun decides it’s just best to bite her tongue about lecturing the pre-law major about skipping class. Rather than chewing the younger woman out for skipping, Joohyun takes a bite from her Choco-Pie, listening to the rustling of fabric in the background of Sooyoung’s line.

She was adjusting the volume on her headphones when Sooyoung stopped fixing the covers about her. “What happened this time?” There came another rustling of blankets before the younger woman’s voice picked back up again. “Did some poor boy bend on one knee and propose to you in front of the entire student body again?” She teased, giggling again.

Joohyun rolled her eyes towards the ceiling at the mortifying memory at last year’s formal dance, drowning out Sooyoung’s cackling with another prolonged sigh. “Not exactly, Sooyoung-ah,” the English major quipped, allowing her gaze to flick from passerby to passerby. Her pitch black eyes narrowed if anyone dared do a double take at her from over their shoulder.

“But this is the second time I’ve been asked out in the span of less than twenty-four hours, and I honestly don’t know what I’ll do if there’s a third,” Joohyun whined into the receiver. “Way to sound a little full of yourself there, Joohyun-ah. Your biggest problem is being asked out by college boys while mine is passing math,” the pre-law major mumbled teasingly into the receiver, unable to suppress the sound of her laughter.

Joohyun pursed her lips together, barely holding back a biting response when the younger woman piped up again. “You know what? Maybe you should just study inside your apartment from now on…if public confessions are so bothersome to you.” Taking a swig of her drink, Joohyun scoffs ever so slightly.

“I’ve got a lecture in thirty minutes…are you kidding? I have to hang out somewhere in between classes, there’s no way in hell I’m walking all the way to my complex and back just so I won’t get asked out by all these men.”

There’s a pause on the younger woman’s line, and for a moment, Joohyun thinks she’s been hung up on. But then there’s the faint sound of a coffee machine whirring to life, the gentle clinking of china cups against each other, and Joohyun knows Sooyoung’s just getting ready for the daily grind that accompanies any college student’s schedule.

“Yeah, yeah. Here you go again, portraying us lesbians as man-haters,” Sooyoung finally drawled with a snort. Joohyun rolls her eyes, “That’s not true, I don’t hate men, Sooyoung.” Continuing as if Joohyun hadn’t spoken, Sooyoung sighed, “You know you’re just adding to the stereotype, right?”

Joohyun hung up on the younger woman exactly two point zero two (read: 2.02) seconds later, scowling at the hand held device before scooping up her belongings and heading to class. Sooyoung didn’t understand what it was like to be in her shoes.

The tall brunette never had to worry about being approached on campus, not with Seungwan constantly glued to her side. The pair’s affections were a constant deterrent to any public confessions. And Joohyun wasn’t a man-hater…she had plenty of guy friends.

She just liked peace and quiet and didn’t particularly enjoy the scent of overpowering cologne or hair product clogging up her sensitive nostrils, that’s all. Finishing the rest of her Choco-Pie, Joohyun dusts the leftover crumbs off of her wool coat.

After she’s crammed the last of the delicious snack into her mouth, Joohyun packs away her book and zips up her backpack. Swiping her Starbucks off of the table, she tosses her wrapper away in the trash and makes her way down the marble cut stairs Jongin had disappeared down a few minutes prior.

Slowly making her way down, Joohyun types off a text to both Yeri and Seungwan. Both of the girls were much more receptive to hearing about her latest incidents, and she was eager to get the events off of her chest. While walking towards the thick glass doors of the exit, she hears the clicking of a familiar pair of shoes.

Her heart skips a beat, and she turns around to see Jongin himself walking towards the same doors with a hopeful look splashed across his handsome face. “What the actual living hell,” she mutters to herself, pushing through the heavy doors at top speed. Had he been waiting for her? What the fuck? Joohyun didn’t want to stick around to find out.

As soon as she felt the icy winds of the outdoors lashing at her face, Joohyun took off in the direction of her next class. Joohyun’s gut instinct was to break out into a sprint, but because there were more students milling about she didn’t feel like gaining more unwanted attention, and began speed walking. Anyone glancing her way would just think she was running late for class, and would hopefully not pay her any mind.

Too bad the reality was that the young woman was running away from yet another person attempting to win her heart, this one even more determined than the last. Her friends were going to hear about this one for weeks. He was literally chasing after her like she was some kind of wild gazelle. “Joohyun!” She heard Jongin yell, desperation evident in his voice.

Thankfully, he sounded as though he were far away. Joohyun picked up the pace, racing through crowds of people and marching across the neatly trimmed lawns of SM University.

“Thank god,” she muttered underneath her breath when the History building finally appeared before her. The cinderblock behemoth was her saving grace. Joohyun didn’t dare turn to search for Jongin’s face amongst the other students.

A moment later, the young woman burst into the building and made a beeline for the women’s bathroom. Once she slammed one of the stall doors shut behind her, her fingers began flying over her phone screen.

She had exactly ten minutes to spare before her class began, plenty of time to recount this wild goose chase to her friends. “Wigs are about to be snatched,” Joohyun snickered underneath her breath, shaking her head. After triumphantly emerging from the bathroom with her cell phone in hand, Joohyun calmly made her way towards her classroom.

When she’d settled down in her seat, five minutes early, she surveyed the faces of her fellow classmate. She first caught sight of him while setting her Greek Classics textbook on her desk, earning a shiver down her spine.

Kim Jongin gave her a timid wave from across the classroom, elbows resting on his own textbook. “Go figure,” Joohyun muttered, frowning and refusing to meet his eye. Discreetly, she fishes her phone out of her coat pocket and sends yet another text to her friend’s group chat.

The plot thickens.


	4. The Third and Her

Joohyun had always viewed the library as a sort of safe space, away from ruckus and interruption. A sanctuary of learning. Peace and tranquility thrived here, amongst the soft chatter of students, the shuffling of book pages, the soft tapping of laptop keyboards.

People knowingly entered through its fortified walls for the main purpose of studying, printing off documents, working on group projects, or even to just grab a Starbucks coffee in between classes. Everything about SM’s newly renovated library screamed productivity.

On each of the library’s five floors, there was a computer lab equipped with five printers, row upon unending row of books and magazines and journal articles on any subject you could dream of, as well as comfortable chairs and tables for students to lounge at. Hardly anyone ever bothered her in the library.

Not that Wednesday when the English major sat on the burgundy colored lounge chairs in the commons area, scanning over pdf files of her textbooks with her earbuds drowning out the sound of the herds of other students marching passed, at least.

Not when Joohyun had plopped herself down at the long, hardwood table in the middle of the bustling Starbucks, directly to the right of the winding line that often strung out of its open doors for hours at a time. She took a long sip from her drink, this time a chai latte, and set about reading an article for her next class.

Joohyun had spent a blissful two years frequenting the library practically without interruption. She was ready to buckle down and study for her Chemistry exam, when it finally happened. At first, it had been easy to ignore the looming presence of the person who’d plopped themselves down into the chair beside hers.

Joohyun found the action odd to some extent, to say the least. There was an unspoken rule about the library that was rarely broken: you never sat down next to someone else if there was another open seat available. People made sure they had at least a seat in between the next person, an unbroken tradition of sorts.

Pulling out her laptop, Joohyun decided to ignore the instance as some sort of fluke – perhaps a freshman who hadn’t learned the norms of the campus yet. She was about to flip open her notebook to a blank sheet when the person shifted in their seat, turning towards her.

“Joohyun?” The voice is low and hesitant, and strangely familiar to the English major. Kim Junmyeon was his name, Joohyun recognized him as soon as she set her sights on him. They’d shared a political science course last semester, and he’d been an avid participant in the class compared to their peers.

Junmyeon was never afraid of speaking his mind or his opinions, even if they made Joohyun internally cringe. The young man, despite looking pretty, didn’t exactly have the best views on political and social issues.

But nobody’s born perfectly without prejudice, that’s the whole premise of learning itself, so Joohyun refrained from lashing out at his ignorant remarks (for the most part, in her head she’d done so at least ten times) and allowed their professor to work their magic.

“Hey, Junmyeon, what’s up?” Joohyun says in a strained, high pitched voice reserved for the times she’s caught unprepared for socializing. Her hand remains poised over a blank sheet of her notebook, her laptop’s cursor is blinking up at her from where she left off on her notes. “How’s your semester going?”

As if on springs, the young man bounced up from his reclined position, nearly startling Joohyun herself. “Fantastic!” He exclaims, rupturing the perfect silence held within the second floor’s commons area. Joohyun casts a nervous eye around, but thankfully any other students have tuned their conversation out through the use of earbuds and laptops and iPhones.

“I changed my major a few days ago to the Business college, though, no more Poli Sci,” Junmyeon lets out a nervous chuckle, running a hand through his tousled dark brown hair. The English major merely nods politely at the young man’s scattered ramble, allowing her arm to come to rest over her open notebook.

“What about you, Joohyun? How are you?” The English major shrugged at the question, looking up for a brief moment to collect her thoughts. “Nothing’s really changed with me, honestly,” she said with a small smile, “Just trying to get through this semester.”

Somehow, she knew what Junmyeon was up to. There was something about the way his eyes flitted left and right nervously, the way he licked his lips as if he were parched, the wringing of his hands in his lap. It made Joohyun frown ever so slightly, but she quickly corrected her expression into perfect indifference, waiting for him to make his move.

There’s the soft chattering of a tour going by, and Joohyun’s drawn to the sight of the fresh, hesitant faces. They’ve got no idea what they’re getting themselves into, Joohyun thought to herself, shaking her head ever so slightly before turning back to Junmyeon. He was staring at her with the type of intensity that would’ve caused her to blush in her high school days.

But she wouldn’t swoon over his swirling chocolate colored eyes, and after another brief moment of silence between them, she finally opened her mouth. “It was good to see you,” Joohyun said, turning away from the young man. Her fingers dancing over the keyboard of her laptop to punch in her password, and she was about to write the first line of her notes when a hand encircled her right wrist.

Freezing in place, Joohyun merely stared at the fingers curled around her arm with a jittery feeling of shock running through her. While it was true that Joohyun indulged herself in the art of skinship with her friends, no one touched her if they weren’t close.

Realizing that he’d overstepped his boundaries a little bit, Junmyeon immediately released her and bowed his head in apology.

“I-I’m sorry, Joohyun,” he murmured, his voice pleading. “I was just…are you free this weekend?” And there it was: everything the English major had been waiting for. Junmyeon’s true intentions. Hope shone in his eyes, and he was clearly making an effort to appear confident, though his actions beforehand had somewhat deflated his ego.

Joohyun loathed this part of any conversation – the rejection. This was where she had to tell him no, where the possibility of anger and retaliation from her refusal became a reality. She’d heard stories, numerous throughout her college years, of atrocities committed by men who felt as though they’d been slighted by women.

She was fairly confident that Junmyeon would be respectful of her wishes, but a young woman in this day and age constantly had to be cautious. Joohyun found herself hesitating, worrying her lip in between her teeth. Unconsciously, the young woman crossed her arms against her chest in an effort to make her feel more secure with the words she was preparing to say.

Just as she’d opened her mouth to speak, Junmyeon raised an open hand. Blushing profusely, the young man spoke softly. “Hold on…there’s no need to confirm what I already know.” He stood slowly, with a smile, “I’m sorry for bothering you, Joohyun. It won’t happen again.” With that, the business major took his leave, his head still held high.

Silently, Joohyun watched him go, internally applauding him for not looking over his shoulder and back at her. Junmyeon was the first to ever notice the shift in her body language, the obvious discomfort she felt, her tentative urge to say no without actually speaking the words.

Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, Joohyun turned back to her studies. At heart, Joohyun knew she still held most of her introverted tendencies. No matter how hard she’d try or how much she got used to it, they’d always be a part of her.

Not even twenty minutes passed when a hand roughly clasped against her shoulder, causing the English major to nearly jump out of her skin. Her earbuds came flying out and she nearly sent her laptop scattered across the marble floor. Furious, she whipped her head around to see who her assailant was this time.

“Relax, unnie,” Yeri laughed, walking around the back of Joohyun’s chair to settle herself into the one Junmyeon had been in. A concerned look briefly flashed across her jovial face when she noticed the older woman hadn’t broken out into a smile at her childish antics, “You seem tense. Is something wrong?”

The college freshman brushes a hand through her freshly dyed blond locks, concern etching around the sides of her mouth. “Joohyun-unnie?” Yeri tries again, waving a hand in front of the English major’s stoic expression, “Did something happen?”

“I just got asked out for the third time this week,” Joohyun whispered, eyeing their surroundings in case Junmyeon was still lurking in the background somewhere. Yeri’s eyebrows flick up in surprise, “Wow. I wonder what’s got people so riled up about you this week, unnie. Is it that stalker boy again? What’s his name?” The freshman stands before Joohyun can swat her with her open palm, hovering just out of reach.

“There must be something in SM’s water,” Yeri snickers before skipping off to her next class with a wink, leaving Joohyun huffing in her seat.

**

Two days after Joohyun’s third public confession, someone taps the English major on the shoulder. She’s reading outside on a particularly beautiful, not terribly cold Friday afternoon.

The weather is just right, in Joohyun’s mind. The temperatures are surprisingly mild, a well-balanced eighteen degrees Celsius. The sun basks everything its perfect golden warmth and glossy autumn leaves left over from the month before flit down to the lush green of the campus yard, floating along on a gentle breeze.

The promise of spring has begun to break through the bitter cold at long last, and Joohyun had been dying to bask in the warmth of the sun for weeks. It had been overcast and gloomy for far too long, and she was determined to enjoy the most of this while she could.

Yet the sensation of thin fingers pressing against her shoulder blade instantly spoils the moment for Joohyun. Just a few minutes prior, she’d settled herself comfortably atop one of the small amphitheater steps, a few yards away from the building that housed her next class.

In her mind’s eye, she was envisioning another male student hovering over her, ready to bombard her with questions she wasn’t ready to answer. Joohyun’s head snaps to the right and she looks up at the tall stranger with utter defiance in her narrowing eyes, a frown trained on her face. The fingers slip off of her jacket.

“Sorry to bother you,” the voice is female, and it comes washing over Joohyun with its low and gentle tone. “But I think you dropped this.”

This time, Joohyun’s interrupted is a young woman with long, flowing brown hair with a fringe of freshly trimmed bangs and a bright set of brown eyes that glitter in the sunlight. From what she could discern (the sun was practically blinding her headlong at this angle), the stranger was drop dead beautiful.

The English major’s mouth drops open slightly as she shamelessly observes the woman from head to toe. The stranger was wearing a stylish outfit consisting of a fleece lined, tan corduroy jean jacket, a plain white t-shirt tucked loosely into a pair of ripped black skinny jeans. A pair of impeccable black Doc Marten boots rest an inch away from Joohyun’s hand.

“Hello?” The stranger said, a teasing lilt to her tone. Joohyun’s eyes flick up to meet a pair of flashing eyes, glittering gold in the sunlight, melting into her soul. “Are you alright?”

Realizing that she’d taken far too long to come up with an answer, Joohyun choked on her words, “S-sorry…did you say something?” Laughter filled the air, and she watched as the other woman lowered herself onto the spot of cement beside her.

Within her long, slender fingers, she held out a slip of parchment out to Joohyun. Its pristine white edges flapped ever so slightly in the sweet-smelling breeze, tinted with stranger’s wafting perfume. “Is this yours?”

Ignoring the way their shoulders and backpacks were brushing against each other ever so slightly, the English major shyly reached for the scrap held out to her. Looking over the flowing script, with the other young woman blatantly reading along with her, Joohyun felt her cheeks begin to color with embarrassment.

In bold, black capital letters, scribbled on the very center of the sliver of copy paper, were the words: KIM JONGIN 02-343-742, CALL ME BABY. From out of the corner of her eye, Joohyun could make out the flick of the stranger’s left eyebrow, indicating that she’d read the entire message.

In a flash, Joohyun had crumpled up the note and shoved it into her front jeans pocket, feeling the brush creeping down her neck. Bemused at Joohyun’s strange and rushed reaction, the stranger looked over at her, a sly smile on her face, “So I guess it’s not yours then, I take it?” Joohyun furiously shakes her head left to right, causing the other woman to emit a soft giggle. “I watched it fall from the pages of your book, though.”

Joohyun’s isn’t one to find herself flustered around people she doesn’t know. She’s tripped down the stairs a few times in the midst of a crowd, tripped up a flight when she was really tired in front of a couple of stragglers making their way to class, all without a care in the world for what those witnesses thought of her.

Now, however, the English major found herself uncharacteristically speechless. If it were anyone other than this beautiful young woman who had approached her, Joohyun would’ve had a comeback ready to fire. Instead of doing so, however, Joohyun had bowed her head and clutched at her paperback novel, shyly hiding her face behind the pages.

“Thank you,” the English mutters underneath her breath, noticing that the brunette beauty hadn’t budged from her spot next to her. Lowering her book ever so slightly, Joohyun allows herself to get sucked back into Hemingway’s war-torn world, when the other woman pipes up again, leaning closer so she could make out the title.

“Wait a second, is that A Farewell to Arms?” Strangely, rather than feeling the telltale prick of annoyance she tended to get when someone disrupted her reading and continued to do so, Joohyun broke out into the tiniest of smiles. “You know Hemingway?”

Mentally, Joohyun noted the slight height difference between them as the other young woman swung her backpack around and pulled out a battered, worn down copy of the same novel clasped in Joohyun’s hands.

“Yeah! I’m reading that right now, too! Are you in American Lit?” The woman asked excitedly, curling a lock of her shimmering dark brown hair behind her ear. Her eyes were still breathtakingly illuminated by the radiant sun and were now filled to the brim with delight.

“No, Intro to Fiction I,” Joohyun replied, feeling a little crestfallen herself when she realized she didn’t share the same course as the other young woman. A twinge of a frown rippled across the brunette’s features before the smile sprung back to her cherry red lips. “Oh…well that’s alright. What do you think of the novel so far?”

Without even batting an eyelash, Joohyun goes off into a wildly long and detailed summary of all the passages she’d read so far in the book. Politely, her newfound companion nodded and added her own little tidbits of information and opinion here and there, but the stranger mainly let the English major ramble on, listening with a transfixed smile seemingly permanently etched onto her face.

“So basically, what you’re telling me is,” the taller young woman interjects once Joohyun pauses to take a breath, “you hate it.” Furrowing her brows together, the English major frowns ever so slightly. “I never said that,” she protested, shaking her head slowly. Perpetually amused by everything Joohyun did, the other young woman chuckled and rolled her eyes teasingly.

“It’s okay, you can admit it,” comes the taller woman’s nonchalant response, waving a hand into the air as if swatting away a fly, “Some of his stuff could bore me to death, too, quite honestly.” Astonished at how easily this newcomer could see through her, Joohyun remained silently baffled, studying the other woman intently without her knowledge.

A billion questions danced on the tip of the English major’s tongue, and it was a new sensation entirely. Usually, Joohyun kept to herself and wasn’t particularly fond of opening up to new people, no matter what the circumstances.

She befriended just enough people in each of her classes in order to have someone she could rely on for notes or for a group project, but she refrained from forming new friendships unless if she truly wanted one. It was another quirk of her introverted nature, Joohyun supposed.

Not many people had sparked this kind of want to become friends in her before. Yet Joohyun only spent a few minutes with this other young woman, and was yearning to know every little thing about her. Casually, the English major checked the time on her watch.

She’s halfway finished with the sentence, “Maybe you’re right,” when it dawns on her that she’s five minutes late for her next class. “Shit!” Joohyun yelped, scrambling to shove all her belongings into her backpack. The other woman remains motionless, observing the English major’s actions with the same tranquil smile.

“I’ve got to run, but it was nice to meet you,” Joohyun says over her shoulder, power walking over towards the building’s front door. After the English major hastily flings the classroom door open and flops into one of the desks near the front of the class, she nearly smacks herself in the forehead at her stupidity.

Joohyun had never gotten the mysterious girl’s name. Throughout her entire professor’s lecture, the English major frequently had to snap herself out of her reverie in order to hastily type out a few notes.

Gritting her teeth, Joohyun silently cursed the brunette – the mystery girl kept popping up in her head while she was trying to memorize facts about global warming in her Sociology class, preventing her from learning positively anything.


	5. Just Another Manic Monday

And then, it finally happened. It was an early on a Monday morning, exactly two weeks and three days (of Joohyun complaining and moping to her friends, mainly Seungwan) since her first encounter with American Lit girl. Joohyun was on her way to her favorite nook in the library to read before class when someone fell into step beside her.

“Hey stranger,” came a familiar voice, the same teasing lilt ringing in Joohyun’s ears. “Funny seeing you here, huh?” The person bumped her shoulder playfully in a familiar manner in the middle of the crowded corridor leading them towards the stairwell.

Although the English major had only heard the voice on one occasion, from the way the hairs on the back of her neck stood up, she knew exactly who it belonged to. Her neck nearly snapped with the sheer velocity Joohyun used to turn towards the voice.

Beside her, the American Lit girl flicks an eyebrow up as their eyes meet. Joohyun’s heartbeat quickened from its steady tempo to a rapid tango. In the other girl’s magnetic gaze is that knowing look a young woman has when she knows she’s caught someone’s full attention.

“Oh, it’s you again.” Joohyun finally musters up the strength to speak, and sure enough, she can muster out two words. Deep down, she finds it a bit ironic, being an English major. After all, from all the literature she’s studied, shouldn’t she have a better vocabulary to draw from? An embarrassed blush creeps up her neck and she looks away quickly.

“Yes, it is I,” American Lit girl confirmed with a wide grin. She stepped forward to hold open the staircase’s heavy fire-proof doors for them to walk through. Joohyun’s blush caught light in her cheeks, and she dipped her head in thanks. As the pair stepped through the threshold and began to climb the cement steps, Joohyun caught another whiff of the taller woman’s lavish perfume. It was positively tantalizing, with notes of spices and citrus and something else Joohyun couldn’t quite put a finger on. Whatever it was, Joohyun was dying to find out. 

“Did you miss me?” The melodic voice reverberated off the graying walls, tinted with a quiet snicker. Joohyun laughed, quickly recovering her composure as they reached the heavy metal door of the third floor.

“Not in your wildest dreams,” the English major teased, pushing her way through to the other side of the doors.

“Tough crowd, huh? The other girl clicked her tongue. The sound echoes off of the cinderblock walls. “Where are we headed, anyways?”

“My usual spot,” Joohyun replied simply.

Hardly anyone knew the exact location of where Joohyun liked to hang around most. She liked the idea of being hidden in plain sight. Most of the time, people breezed right by her without a second glance. If she needed a break from studying, one of her favorite pastimes was watching people stumble around, obviously lost, looking at the shelves helplessly. Only the English major’s friends could make their way to her amongst the twists and turns of row upon row of multicolored books. Even then, they rarely visited her.

Yet for some reason, she didn’t hesitate to lead the other young woman straight to her cozy little nook. She was entrusting a complete stranger with the one place she felt most comfortable, tucked away in one of the far corners of the third floor. After a few moments of weaving in and out of the endless and discombobulating maze of bookshelves, Joohyun led them to a small clearing. A pair of worn, but comfortable plush leather armchairs were set facing each other, separated by a small, circular wooden table.

Behind her right shoulder, Joohyun listened to the other young woman whistle softly in between her teeth. “Some place you got here,” American Lit girl mused, sizing up the place as she turned on her heel, “It’s nice. Looks quiet. You sure do like your privacy, huh?” Joohyun shrugged her shoulders and slipped her backpack off, settling down in her usual chair – facing the outside world with a stoic look of defiance.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been up to the third floor before,” the other woman continues with a chuckle.

“Yeah, this is my favorite place to come and read. Not a lot of people even know this is back here. I don’t really like being disturbed so…,” she trails off. Momentarily, Joohyun allows her gaze to be trained on the other girl. She was slipping gracefully into the seat adjacent to Joohyun’s, still looking around them with awe plastered across her face. It felt a bit odd, having someone finally sitting across from her. But not bad. 

“I bet,” American Lit girl laughs. “How’d you even find this little alcove? I mean, I haven’t been able to track down a single book here without one of the staff helping me out.”

“I stumbled on it by accident. I was…trying to avoid this relentless guy who was trying to get me to go out with him.” Joohyun’s face turns a shade of pink, feeling flustered. “I spent my first two semesters here working in the library, so I knew a few tricks to get him off my tail, but he was a really quick learner. For a second, I thought I was actually done for when I spotted this little nook. I ducked in and he walked right by me.”

The other girl’s eyes were wide with surprise.

“Christ, that sounds like a nightmare. College boys, amirite? Relentless little rascals.”

Joohyun smiled politely.

“That’s putting it lightly.”

“True,” the other girl laughed. “I’ve been hounded by a few myself. It’s weird…at first, I thought it was a little flattering. But then it just got to be downright awkward. I don’t exactly swing that way, if you know what I mean, and whenever I tell them that, most of them can get pretty mean pretty quickly,” she admitted. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly and Joohyun noticed her cheeks tinting with color.

Her heart leaped in her chest. So…American Lit girl’s gay, too. Much to think about.

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” Joohyun smiles.

The girl looks up at her with a start.

“Oh, so you’re…?” She points at herself, then at Joohyun, and back again. “Too?”

Joohyun laughs.

“Yeah. Shocking – I know.”

American Lit girl falls silent, probably lost in thought. She was gazing at the spines of the books next to her. Joohyun isn’t exactly sure what to say next, so she just stares down at her cuticles. She’s surprised even herself with just how much she’s revealed about herself to a stranger in such a short amount of time. Although her friends had been acquainted with Joohyun’s hideaway, it had taken a significant amount of time before she’d felt comfortable bringing them around. Not only that, but they usually steered clear of Joohyun’s little nook.

Normally, Joohyun appreciated their efforts to give her the alone time she always craved but sometimes she found herself a little lonely. American Lit girl looked right at home, sitting in the other armchair, slotted in between the bookshelves. With one of her index fingers, she had reached out a long arm and was tracing over book titles. It was then that Joohyun realized just how tall the other girl was, how long her limbs were.

She glanced at the books and tried not to frown to herself. She doubted the other girl would be interested in anything lining the shelves – they were in the historical section. These volumes thicker than some of the biggest textbooks she’d had were stacked against each other. Her eyes trailed back to the other girl, studying her.

American Lit girl was wearing a white button up long sleeve shirt tucked into a pair of distressed blue jeans and her pair of black Doc Martens. She looked nice, Joohyun thought. Her glistening brown hair cascaded down her shoulders and her almond shaped eyes seemed far away and distant, like she was distracted. Before Joohyun got caught staring, she looked cleared her throat and looked down at her lap.

“You know, I’ve been looking for you all week,” Joohyun heard the other young woman say. She was rummaging through her backpack now, searching for something. Joohyun averted her gaze to unzip her own, pulling out one of the many notebooks crammed inside of it. She still needed to get some homework done for her calculus lecture later that afternoon. Her heart began to hammer in her ribcage, though she wasn’t sure why. She could feel the burn of the other college student’s eyes on her, but she kept her gaze fixed on her notebook. Joohyun flipped to a blank page and set her math textbook atop the table.

“You have?” Joohyun cracked a tiny smile. She grabbed another book, an old paperback, and set it on her lap.

“Yeah. It’s not easy tracking down someone with your only lead being a scrap of paper that says, ‘Call me baby’, on it, you know,” the other woman jokes. There’s a playful glint in the other woman’s eyes when the English major finally looks up and returns the smile shining at her.

“That does sound a tiny bit difficult,” Joohyun retorts, and they laugh.

“So, what’s your name?” The brunette continues, leaning forward in her seat. There’s a gleam in her eye that Joohyun can’t seem to tear her eyes from. “I don’t want to keep calling you ‘Intro to Fiction girl’ in my head. Not that there’s anything necessarily wrong with that name.”

Joohyun pretends to think for a moment, hand dropping into her backpack to draw out the new book for her English class.

“True…‘American Lit girl’ doesn’t exactly have the best ring to it, either,” she teases back, setting the book on her lap. Joohyun watches the other young woman cross her toned legs, relaxing into the chair as her glittering eyes seize Joohyun’s.

“So…what is your name, then?” She asks casually, tilting her head to the side, spilling long chocolate brown locks down her shoulders. God, she really was gorgeous, Joohyun thought to herself, biting her lip. Was that her heart fluttering or was she having a heart attack? She wasn’t entirely sure.

“It’s Joohyun,” the English major finally reveals softly. “My name’s Joohyun.”

There’s a flicker of something, perhaps surprise, Joohyun thinks, that flashes across the other woman’s features. Quickly composing herself, the other college student holds out her right hand for Joohyun to shake.

“That’s such a pretty name,” she says, flashing her a winning smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Joohyun. I’m Seulgi.” Seulgi’s hand is warm and the perfect balance between soft and hard, unlike most of the hands Joohyun’s held before. Other girl’s hands felt plush to the touch, but Seulgi’s grip was both firm and gentle at the same time.

“A new book already?” Seulgi asks when retract their hands from each other. She points a slender digit at the paperback balancing over Joohyun’s knee. Before Joohyun can reply, Seulgi squints at the faded cover. 

“Is that A Clockwork Orange?”

“It is! Good eye.”

“I’ve been meaning to get around to reading that,” Seulgi says. “May I?” She extends a hand, asking permission. Offering her newfound acquaintance the book, Joohyun is surprised to see genuine excitement dancing within Seulgi’s eyes. The girl eagerly flips over to the back, skimming over the novel’s synopsis. The sight makes the English major relax. An easy smile spreads across her typically tense features. Perhaps showing Seulgi her secret space in the library wasn’t such a bad idea, after all. Maybe they’d get to sit and read together more in the future or…something.

“A lot of people I know have heard of the movie but not the book. Most of them don’t even realize it was actually a book first,” Joohyun laughs quietly. Seulgi nods in response, still pouring over the book. “My friends are kind of the same way about book-to-movie adaptations,” she says quietly, “Not many of them like to read for fun, either. We’re so busy all the time. It’s difficult to find the time for it between going to classes, doing homework, and working. I wish I read more, honestly.”

Joohyun hums in agreement. She had to admit, her copy was a particularly interesting looking edition. Joohyun had spotted it at a thrift store by chance, peeking out of a pile of other old, musty books. She’d had rescued the novel, unscathed and was fascinated by the way it was printed. The cover of the book was two toned, the front and back both in a vibrant orange color while the spine remained a pale color – matching that of a fresh orange pith. The pages on the outside were painted yet another orange tone, and when you brushed the pad of your thumb across the pages, the scent of the worn pages lifted to the air.

“Are you an English major? Is that why you’re so into fiction?” Joohyun asks, watching Seulgi flip through the first couple of pages. The girl’s sharp eyes were scanning across the pages with lightning speed. Every couple of seconds, she flipped to the back of the book, looking up what some of the words meant. Anthony Burgess, the author, had come up with his own unique language to tell the story. Joohyun was only a few chapters in, her pace slowed by having to constantly look up the definitions used in it.

“No, I’m undecided, actually,” Seulgi said absentmindedly. “I’ve been thinking about Journalism for a while, but I haven’t got any real ideas so far. Journalism’s just something I say to deflect, you know? It distracts people for a bit, but honestly I’ve no clue what I want to do,” she says, shutting the novel with a sad sigh. Gently, she passes the book back to Joohyun with a tiny grimace, as if the thought of declaring her major pained her immensely.

“And I just like to read. I was that one kid who always got in trouble in grade school for reading during class. I bet you can relate to that,” Seulgi winked at her. “It’s always nice to escape the real world for a bit in favor of joining a magical quest somewhere far, far away.”

“Ah, I get that. In grade school I used to prop my books up behind my textbooks but my teachers caught onto that trick.” They share another laugh and Joohyun wonders if it’s normal for her cheeks to ache from smiling so much. “Are you a freshman?” Joohyun asks next. She was genuinely curious to learn more about this mysterious girl who seemed to enjoy literature as much as she did. “Do I really look that young still? I thought I’d have lost all my baby fat by now,” Seulgi joked, chuckling to herself. “You’re not too far off, though. I’m a sophomore.”

The English major nodded to herself, noting that that must mean the other woman must’ve been nineteen or twenty years old, a few years shy of her own age. “The real question is are you a freshman?” Seulgi ponders, placing her chin upon her fist as she studies Joohyun with her sweeping gaze. It seemed to the English major that the other woman was trying to decipher all of her secrets, to no avail of course. Joohyun’s poker face was impeccable, it betrayed absolutely nothing about her.

“I don’t think I’ve seen you around campus until just this year.”

“I could say the same thing to you,” Joohyun murmured.

Absentmindedly, she was tracing over the cover of her book. For some reason, it made her nervous to look Seulgi in the eye. She found the way Seulgi looked at her interesting but slightly terrifying at the same. In her lifetime, Joohyun’s seen many people become absolutely baffled at the sight of her – attracted to her outward beauty. Seulgi seemed different, however. Seulgi’s eyes seemed to stroke Joohyun’s soul, delving deep beneath her surface

“I’m a junior this year. I’m also majoring in English.”

“That explains the books, then,” Seulgi grins easily. “I bet you’ve read more books this semester than I’ve read in the past year.” The corners of her eyes crinkle up as she smiled, warmth radiating from her like sunshine. Any trace of Seulgi’s worries about her major had faded away, like her walls had never crumbled in the first place. “How did you know English is what you wanted to pursue?” Seulgi continues smoothly, uncrossing her legs.

Unlike the other times Joohyun’s been approached by strangers, this girl was actually good at carrying on conversation. It also probably helped that Joohyun didn’t feel the need to be defensive around her and that she felt drawn to the other woman. How could she resist feeling the pull of attraction that exuded from Seulgi’s calm demeanor?

“I’ve loved literature ever since I was a kid,” Joohyun confessed, gushing from memories of her childhood. She rarely divulged her secrets like this. Only her best friends truly knew the stories she was planning on telling Seulgi. She bit her lip, wondering if she should continue. Seulgi gave her an encouraging nod, dark eyes sparkling with interest.

“Actually, the first memory I can remember is me holding a book. Not really reading, you know. It was more like just staring at the pictures and making up my own stories since I couldn’t understand what the words were saying. I must’ve been four or five years old,” Joohyun rambled on, shyly fiddling with the book in her hands. “Now I want to be an English professor, get my master’s, the whole shebang.”

“That’s wonderful, Joohyun,” Seulgi replies. Her eyes melt into Joohyun’s like molten lava. Warmth spreads across Joohyun’s cheeks but she welcomes the feeling, relishing in the younger woman’s attention. “It’s great you’ve always known what you wanted to do. That’s such a lovely memory of the moment you fell in love with reading,” the brunette continues softly, as if understanding the weight of the moment between them. Then, Seulgi slumps back in her chair. “I wish I had a clear-cut idea of what I wanted to do, just like you,” she sighs. “I don’t have any childhood memories like yours.”

Seulgi’s playful nature seemed subdued again after admitting this, and Joohyun felt a wave of sadness wash over her momentarily. She hated seeing that sunshine snuffed out.

“Hey,” she said in a soft voice, swatting Seulgi’s knee lightly with her book. “It’s okay not to know what you want to do with your life, Seulgi.” But even after the older woman’s attempt at consoling her, Seulgi’s face seemed to fall further.

“I know, it’s just – my parents wish I did. Ever since this semester started, it’s practically all they talk about,” Seulgi finally mumbles, hiding the side of her face with one hand, embarrassed at how easily she confessed this to a stranger. “It worries them I’m not sure what I want to do with my life. I had an older brother who was kind of a trouble maker when he was younger and they really don’t want me to turn out like him. I don’t know. It can be a lot sometimes, I’m sorry.”

Joohyun shook her head, her lips quirking down until they formed a slight frown. “You don’t have to apologize for anything, Seulgi. You haven’t done anything wrong. Tell you what, I’m going to let you in on a little secret,” she leans in closer to Seulgi’s forlorn figure. “Nobody really knows what they want to do. We’re all just as clueless as you. It’s not typical for someone to be so sure on their career path at such an early age. Hell, I could change my mind in an instant about what I want to do after I graduate this year. Besides, I doubt you’re anything like your brother. You seem like you’ve got your head in the right place. I know it’s difficult but, try not to be so hard on yourself.”

Seulgi looked at Joohyun for a long time with a sort of bewildered expression, completely silent. She seemed less sad but still not completely convinced. Joohyun figured it’d take a while for Seulgi to forget her doubts and worries. Self confidence doesn’t grow overnight. Over the course of her life, she’s dealt with her own doubts towards the future. In the beginning, making the decision to pursue an English major didn’t seem as cut and dry as it did now.

Joohyun’s parents feared for her future prospects, telling her she might not be able to make much of a living if she decided to major in English. Time after time, they suggested she switch to a more practical career path – becoming a nurse or a doctor or a lawyer, even. Something that would guarantee her a decent income. It wasn’t until she was older that she realized that it didn’t necessarily matter to her how much she’d be making. She didn’t want to wake up one day, feeling completely stuck and endlessly working a job she hated.

Nobody was perfect and life was nowhere near perfect, but that’s what made it beautiful. She hoped she’d be able to help Seulgi feel a tiny bit better with her little pep talk. “Trust me,” Joohyun murmurs, “It’ll take time, don’t get me wrong. But you’ll get there. Try not to stress too much about it for right now. It’ll come to you eventually.”

It looked as though Seulgi were about to say something, but then the younger woman’s phone buzzes. She glances at the screen and face morphs into one of mortification. “Oh shit, I’m sorry. I’ve got to go – I’m gonna be late for American Lit,” Seulgi says in explanation, standing abruptly. Before she leaves, she turns and lets her eyes wander over Joohyun’s figure once more. The encouraging smile on the Joohyun’s face doesn’t falter.

“Thank you for showing me your alcove and talking things through with me,” Seulgi breathes out, “Sorry if it was a little…awkward to get so personal. I know we don’t really know each other yet, but I really appreciate your advice. You’re so wise, maybe it’s an English major thing, huh?” She drums her fingers nervously against the wall.

“It’s not a problem at all, thank you for opening up to me about it,” Joohyun replies reassuringly. “Just remember you’re not alone.”

Seulgi grins. “I’ll see you around, Joohyun.” And with that, she finally turns the corner. The English major watches her leave with something that feels like disappointment settling in her stomach. She hoped Seulgi would keep that promise.


	6. Between the Pages

It only took two days for Seulgi to make another appearance. While forty-eight may not seem like a long time to most people, to Joohyun (who is not most people), it felt like a stretch of eternity. The English major’s head was on a constant swivel. Everywhere she went, Joohyun searched for Seulgi’s face. Joohyun looked through the throngs of other students trudging to classes for ripped skinny jeans and Doc Martens, but they never turned out to be Seulgi’s.

She watched the countless faces lining up in the cafeterias or in the line for Starbucks. On Tuesday, Joohyun thought she’d spotted her grabbing a coffee as she was walking by. Rooted to the spot, Joohyun’s heart leaped at the idea of seeing Seulgi again. She almost started walking towards the girl but stopped herself when it turned out to be someone else who merely looked like Seulgi from behind.

Disappointment radiated from her small frame the entire day after that and Joohyun quickly moved along, feeling a little silly. Not even her friend’s playful teasing at lunch could alleviate her crushed mood after that. She even scoured the cafeterias for any sign of the younger woman, all to no avail – there were far too many students around.

“Maybe Seulgi brings food from home?” Seungwan commented offhandedly on Tuesday. The four of them are seated around their usual table in the student union and Joohyun can’t help but feel distracted. By then, her friends had definitely noticed her odd behavior but no one was brave enough to bring it up.

“Hm?” Joohyun mutters absentmindedly. Her eyes were trailing over the multitude of students lingering around. Dozens of tables and booths scattered about were bustling, all occupied by SM’s finest. She caught tiny bits of conversation here and there, outbursts from friends who hadn’t seen each other since last semester, sparkles of laughter. But still, no Seulgi.

“You know, like, maybe she packs her own lunch?” Seungwan bites the inside of her cheek. Her eyes dart nervously between Sooyoung and Yeri’s quizzical expressions. Hesitantly, she shrugs, “That would explain why the four of us have never seen her around the student union or any of the dining halls.”

“Hm,” Joohyun muttered. Her eyes remained unfocused and distant, glazing over their surroundings. Seungwan turns to the other two girls, eyebrows raised, silently prompting them to chime in.

“Well, if she does, she’s smart as hell,” Yeri cackles. She snatches up her empty Chipotle bag from the table and begins waving it wildly in the air as if it were a rebel flag. Sooyoung snickers in amusement before Seungwan swats both her and Yeri on the shoulder. “Hey! Ouch!” Yeri scowls, rubbing her arm. She shoots a death glare at Seungwan that would stop a football player in his tracks, but Seungwan remains unphased.

She sticks her tongue out at Yeri and turns back to chowing down on her food. “I can’t believe I actually have to pay for this giant meal plan,” Yeri continues a beat later. “I only come here and buy food because I’m not getting that money back at the end of next semester.”

Sooyoung snickers into her plate of freshly made chicken nuggets. She dips a nugget into her container of ranch sauce, munches on a fry, and takes a sip of her strawberry flavored milk shake.

“Right?” She swathes another golden fried nugget into her ranch and pops it into her mouth. “College is a scam if I’ve ever seen one,” she says, her mouth full. Seungwan winces at the sight of Sooyoung simultaneously talking and chewing.

“Gross, Sooyoung.”

The taller woman flashed her a wicked grin, munching away.

“Anyways, good thing I’ve got that sweet, sweet tiny commuter student meal plan. I’ll actually use it up and whatever’s left is going to go towards my tuition for next semester!”

Yeri sighs dejectedly and pokes at her burrito bowl sulkily. “I can’t wait until I can move off campus,” she groans. “Oh, shit…that means I’m going to have to pay for rent, though! God! Why do nice things have to be so expensive?”

Seungwan and Sooyoung laugh, but Joohyun’s still zoned out, no doubt searching the crowd for the slightest hint of Seulgi’s presence. Her friends share a pointed look. You do it, Seungwan motions to Yeri, who shakes her head with such a fervor it looked as if she were about to break her neck . No, you’re the second oldest - why don’t you do it? In a matter of seconds, a heated but silent argument breaks out between both of them.

Sooyoung’s eyes narrow as she watches the spectacle unfold. Yeri’s jabbing a finger at Seungwan, her face red from holding back from yelling. Meanwhile, Seungwan holds her cup of coffee in hand, mouthing back with the same ferocity as a startled house cat.

You guys can be so childish sometimes.

“You feeling okay, Joohyun?” Sooyoung says finally, nudging the older woman with her shoulder. Joohyun looks over at her as if she’s just been startled awake from a dream.

“Yeah, I’m good.” She blinks rapidly, turning her attention back to her lunch. She realized she’d hardly touched her own food. Her stomach growling ever so slightly, Joohyun took a bite out of her tuna salad sandwich. She could feel Sooyoung’s sharp gaze still trained on her as she looked around the room once more. “Why, what’s up?”

Silence.

Then, “Seeing Seungwan just accidentally snorted coffee up her nose and you haven’t even noticed, I just wanted to be sure,” Sooyoung replied, cracking up hysterically.

“Oh?”

Joohyun whipped her head around and sure enough, Seungwan was dejectedly wiping splotches of dark brown off of her shirt while Yeri howled with laughter beside her.

“I bought this last week,” the Canadian whined, pouting at the stain marks covering her blue and white checkered flannel. “Hey! Yeri, you better stop laughing right now, so help me god!”

Joohyun’s face broke out into an easy smile, bemused by the scene in front of her. Sooyoung was leaning over with a fistful of napkins in hand, daubing away at the stains. Once Yeri finished smacking the table with her open palm, she wiped a tear from her eye and did the same. Her friends might be clowns, but they always did their best to take care of each other.

With a soft chuckle, she shook her head and rummaged around in her backpack. When she found what she was looking for, she raised it triumphantly to the ceiling as if wielding a sword.

“Here, this’ll help.”

She passed the tube to Seungwan and watched her friend’s eyes instantly lit up with relief.

“Joohyun, you’re an absolute lifesaver!”

“Um…,” Yeri stifled another snicker. She was clutching her stomach with her free hand, no doubt finding it difficult to breathe after laughing so much. “Since when did you start carrying around Tide Pens, Joohyun?”

“I thought you’d never ask,” Joohyun said, her voice overflowing with barely contained excitement. Joohyun loved few other things than describing her love for Tide or Downy. “Last semester, I had this speech class and we had to wear business casual for presentations. Everything was going really well until this one guy came in late with his entire shirt soaked with coffee. The entire front and half of a sleeve of his shirt was this nasty translucent shade of brown.”

Sooyoung’s nose crinkled up in disgust.

“Apparently, he was running late to class and ran straight into some girl carrying a giant iced coffee. He didn’t have enough time to go back and change so he just kept going,” she trailed off, throwing her hands up in the air. “Isn’t that insane? Our professor was super strict and she deducted his grade by three points because of it, so I decided I’d never be put in that dude’s shoes.”

Seungwan hands back the Tide Pen after successfully getting most of the stains out. Sooyoung admired the Canadian’s handiwork, brushing a finger against the fabric. The taller girl’s finger lingered there for a half a second more, as if testing the waters of Seungwan’s boundaries. Joohyun watched with quiet curiosity as the pair exchanged shy smiles. Her eyebrows began to furrow.

Wait a second. Were they…?

“Ah, that’s our mom friend,” Yeri teased. She threw an arm around Joohyun's shoulders, physically jarring her from her thoughts. With a blush creeping up the back of her neck, Joohyun moved to tuck her Tide Pen back into her backpack. “Always taking care of us.” When she felt brave enough to take another glance at the pair, both had respectively returned to eating their lunches. The gears in her brain were still churning. She’d have to ask Seungwan about it later.

“Someone’s got to!” Joohyun said, feigning exasperation. “If I don’t do it, who will?” Joohyun playfully rolled her eyes as her friends protested at her outburst. She waved them off with a grin and took another bite of her tuna salad. The Mom Friend: that was her, alright. Joohyun had earned that nickname after years of looking out for her friends.

At first, she’d hated the title. She thought the girls were only referring to her age, that it was something to be ashamed of. After all, she was going to turn twenty-one later that year. Her three other friends were still in their teens. In fact, Yeri had just turned eighteen. Sometimes Joohyun felt worlds apart from them because of that. But when she found out the phrase represented how much love she had for the girls, her heart melted.

Joohyun spent the rest of their meal together completely present, chiming in with witty remarks and cracking jokes and enjoying her friend’s company. When she was packing up her things to leave, she missed her friends shooting each other triumphant smiles. As she trudged to class, it suddenly dawned on her: that had been the first time since their encounter in the library, the desperate search for Seulgi had faded from Joohyun’s mind.

**

As someone who’s made straight A’s her entire academic career, Joohyun was not one to struggle with paying attention or getting her work done. But ever since Joohyun had taken Seulgi up to the third floor and shown her the tiny space that gave her solace like no other; nearly every waking thought Joohyun had was dedicated to the sharp eyed woman.

Her professors rambled on about international fiction, creative writing prompts, the historical Greek tragedy of Antigone and the Aeneid, and the history of the ancient world. Normally, Joohyun would be enthralled by these subjects. Ancient plays had always piqued her interest.

She had a soft spot for playwrights, especially Greek playwrights. The wordy or confusing texts of Shakespeare or Euripides or Sophocles never seemed to appeal to many of her peers in high school, but Joohyun ate it up. For a brief (though Seungwan would disagree) time, Joohyun was a ‘Percy Jackson’ fanatic. Learning more about Greek gods and their Roman counterparts while reading the action-packed, thrilling journey of Percy set her heart on fire. Who wouldn’t want a sidekick like Grover, anyways?

But even her favorite class couldn’t grab her attention the way it usually did. Instead of engaging in class discussion, Joohyun absentmindedly gazed out the window. Outside, the world was cast in the gloomy, overcast shadow of the cloud cover overhead. The sky had been threatening to storm all morning, but held back, as if waiting for something.

“Joohyun?”

She hoped it wouldn’t rain on the way to her car. She’d left her umbrella in the backseat and hadn’t brought much of a raincoat. Maybe she could shield herself with her textbooks, make them actually useful for once. She fell at peace, her brain finally quieting down as she watched the boughs of the trees ease with the wind. Then, I wonder if Seulgi brought her umbrella?

Instantly, her mind filled with images of her and Seulgi walking arm in arm down the sidewalk, Seulgi holding up a large umbrella to shield the both of them from the onslaught of rain. She broke out in a dreamy smile.

“Uh, Joohyun?”

“Oh, shoot, sorry!”

She snapped to attention, paralyzed with shock. Had her professor asked her a question in front of the whole class? Was class already over? Two other students were shuffling their desks towards hers.

“You’re all good, no worries,” One girl smiled politely at her. Joohyun recognized her from a few other classes they’d had together. Jennie Kim. She was a quiet girl who kept mostly to herself, sharp as a whip in during lectures, too. Joohyun respected her for that. “We were just wondering if you’d like to join our group?” Jennie asked.

Joohyun looked around, flustered and a little embarrassed to have been caught zoning out so obviously. The entire class had spread out into little groups clumped around corners of the room, eagerly chatting away with each other. “Dr. Easternhold’s splitting us up into fours for the assignment she passed out earlier,” Jennie added. Joohyun looked down at her desk, surprised to see the aforementioned assignment settled on top of her unopened textbook.

“I’m sorry, I was totally daydreaming back there,” Joohyun laughed nervously. She picked up the assignment and scanned over it. A prickle of anxiety blossomed over her skin. She hated when she was caught off guard like this, scrambling for excuses. “I’d love to join your guys’ group.”

“It’s all good, I was doing the same thing,” the girl next to Jennie chimed in with a sheepish grin. Joohyun took in the regal beauty to her. She had long, flowing dark tresses, an angular jaw, and a pair of dazzling eyes. Joohyun felt puzzled, How had she not seen her before? Jennie rolled her eyes.

“You’re always dreaming, Jisoo. Even when you actually come to class. Last week you actually were asleep, I had to keep kicking your chair! ” Joohyun’s lips quirked into a grin. Jennie and Jisoo reminded her of Seungwan and Yeri’s dynamic.

“Oh, yeah. That was crazy,” Jisoo laughed, Jennie’s words rolling off her shoulders. She brushed a hand down Jennie’s arm gently, “Thanks again, Jennie.” Jennie pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something underneath her breath that sounded something like, ‘I can’t believe I fell in love with an idiot.’ But before Joohyun could comment, Jisoo turned her attention back to her.

“Anyways, the assignment’s just for attendance, so it’s no biggie,” she added with a wink. Joohyun shot her a small but grateful smile, bobbing her head along in an affirmative nod. Jennie shook her head but relented, “Let’s get started.”

Curse you, Kang Seulgi.

**

After her Greek Classics course had ended (and after she’d swapped numbers with Jennie and Jisoo), Joohyun made her way to her book nook on the third floor. Her classes were done for the day but she always found it difficult to study when she got home. Plus, she wanted to avoid the rush hour traffic she would no doubt face if she were to drive home.

It was almost five o’clock when Joohyun reached the towering, trademark structure of the library. She climbed two sets of marble stairs, turned into one of the little markets scattered about the campus, and purchased two boxes of sweet potato sushi for her dinner. With her stomach growling, Joohyun climbed the remaining steps up to the third floor, ready to gorge herself on the treat.

Usually, she packed enough lunch to last her throughout even her longest days on campus, but today Joohyun felt half-starved. Once she reached the alcove, she hastily slipped off her backpack and turned to her food. She’d just settled down into her armchair when a head popped through the gap in the bookshelves. It seemed the universe finally decided to smile down on her.

“I guess the staff here don’t know about this spot, right?” Seulgi questioned casually. Joohyun gave her a frightened look. The sight of Seulgi’s disembodied head was bizarre, to say the least. Her sudden appearance had nearly made Joohyun drop the container of sushi in her hands. Seulgi laughed quietly at her reaction as she made her way to the empty armchair across from Joohyun.

“What makes you say that?” Joohyun asked, trying to recover from the near heart attack she’d just had. “Also, next time you creep up on me, please don’t make it look like you’re communicating from the other side. I thought you were a ghost or something, SM’s a haunted university! I could’ve screamed! Or more importantly, dropped my sushi. We could’ve gotten kicked out!”

Seulgi’s eyes twinkled with mischief as she threw her backpack off. “Sorry, I should’ve known you’re one to scare easily,” she teased gently. Trying to fend off an oncoming blush from spreading across her cheeks, Joohyun turned back to her sushi. She snapped apart the wooden chopsticks that came with the container and dumped the contents of the tiny soy sauce packet onto each roll.

“Anyways, I don’t think the staff knows about this place, even though it’s always impeccably neat. Plus, you’re eating right next to the history volumes. These books are probably hundreds of years old. I feel like if one of the staff spotted you anywhere near them with soy sauce in hand, you’d be kicked out,” The younger woman pointed out.

As she prepares to protest, Seulgi raises her right hand. “Don’t even try it, Joohyun. I know there’s a miniature shrine of books tucked away in the corner behind your chair. There’s no way staff come around here.” The two of them share a laugh together, then soon after fall into a comfortable silence. Joohyun munched at her food and Seulgi fiddled with her phone, no doubt scrolling on social media.

“Oh, hey, guess what I brought with me?” Seulgi asks when she notices Joohyun unzipping her backpack. Joohyun had successfully finished her first container of sweet potato sushi and decided it was time to breakout her homework. She pulled out her history binder and textbook and set them on the table. “What did you bring?”

Joohyun watches, astounded, as the younger woman pulls out her own copy of A Clockwork Orange from her backpack. It was a different edition than her own but still simplistic and aesthetic in design. The book cover was split, the top half black and the bottom half white, with a large circle of orange smack dab in the center.

“How far have you read so far, Joohyun?” Seulgi asked. She leafed through a few pages with her thumb. Joohyun rummaged around in her backpack until she found her own copy. She glanced at the page she’d marked.

“Only the first fifty pages, till chapter five,” Joohyun replied, eyeing Seulgi’s edition. Although they were separate editions, both seemed second hand. Her curiosity piqued, Joohyun leaned forward in her seat, “Did you get that just because I’m reading it or?” The English major’s eyebrows were quirked up, and her tone was full of hope.

Seulgi smirked at her, “Not quite…I actually bought this a few years ago in high school for one of my classes.”

Trying to hide the slight disappointment she felt, Joohyun cleared her throat and trained her gaze on the faded cover of her own paperback. What was she thinking? Of course Seulgi hadn’t gone out and bought a copy of A Clockwork Orange just for her. She felt like smacking herself.

“I wanted to know what you thought about Anthony Burgess’s writing while also refreshing myself on it, that’s all,” Seulgi added with a sly smile. Oh. That certainly changes things. Seulgi had dug up an old book she’d read back in high school so she and Joohyun could talk about it? A giddiness blossomed in her chest and slowly worked its way throughout her body. Interesting.

“I’m not really sure what to make of it,” Joohyun admits after a moment’s pause. She pondered the contents of the novel she’d read so far. She briefly wondered why Seulgi seemed so interested in discussing a book with her, but at the same time, she was glad to have somebody to finally talk to.

Most of the time, when Joohyun wanted to discuss books, she’d have to resort to googling for opinions. Yeri and Sooyoung rarely touched a book if they had to, and while Seungwan was a fan of fiction – she never seemed to have heard of any titles Joohyun brought up.

“I hear it’s supposed to get super dark theme-wise,” Joohyun continued, rapping her knuckles across her book’s cover. “Alex and his posse have already jumped an old man within the first few pages of the story. I’m kind of worried about just how dark it’s going to get.”

Seulgi broke out into a smile, “You’re in for quite the ride, Joohyun. I remember having to take a bunch of breaks between some of the content.” Joohyun’s smile slipped off her face. Sure, she’d heard things about A Clockwork Orange, but not much other than how it was a “classic” or “dark” or “dystopian.” Just how bad could it be? Her professor hadn’t said much about the book itself, they hadn’t even discussed the opening yet.

“What do you say we both read it and let each other know what we think?” Seulgi proposed. She leaned out of her chair a little, “I’d love to hear your thoughts when you get a little further into the book. Plus it might be beneficial to bounce your ideas off of someone for...you know, educational purposes.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t mind this odd, impromptu book club between her and Seulgi. Not one bit. Not only would she have someone to read and talk to about books, she’d get to spend more time with Seulgi, too. That sounded like a win-win situation in her book.

“I’d really like that, Seulgi,” Joohyun admitted shyly.

“It’s settled then,” Seulgi replies, looking slightly relieved. She leans back in her chair and flips open her book. “We could meet up here sometime during the week and talk about whatever we’ve read so far.”

Joohyun mirrors the action and nods, feeling her heart settling down. She wondered what her friends would say about this. Imagine, the Ice Queen Bae Joohyun finally letting a stranger get close to her? She could already hear Yeri’s witch-like cackle ringing in her ears.

“Or, we could host some meetings at this really good Thai place I know near campus,” Seulgi blinks at her innocently. OH.

“Yeah, that sounds nice, too. I love Thai food,” Joohyun squeaks.

“Okay, cool, nice,” Seulgi responses in quick succession. She was drumming her fingers against the cover of her book. Joohyun swore the other woman was blushing. “Maybe we could go next week? I’ve got an exam coming up this weekend I have to study for.”

“That works for me,” Joohyun replied.

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

They giggled, out of nervousness or just plain glee, Joohyun couldn’t tell. She could feel the tips of her ears reddening. Boy, the girls were really going to flip when Joohyun told them about this. They cracked open their books again and got to reading, the only sound was the occasional turning of the pages. Ten minutes later, Joohyun dared to sneak a glance at Seulgi from the top of her book.

“Hey, are you going to finish your sushi?” Seulgi asks, nose still buried between the pages. Joohyun pushed the untouched container over towards Seulgi’s side of the table.

“We can share.”


	7. Change of Heart

“You guys have to help me.”

For what must’ve been the thousandth time, Joohyun begged for her friend’s assistance in her search for the one and only elusive Seulgi. Only an hour had passed since she’d left the library. Thinking about how Seulgi had brought a copy of A Clockwork Orange, proposed an impromptu book club, asked her out for dinner, and helped her with her homework felt more like fiction than reality.

In a flurry of motion, Joohyun had sent a few frantic texts to Sooyoung and Seungwan to meet her at her apartment, promptly raced over to Yeri’s dorm to pick her up, and sped over to her apartment. Now, the English major was metaphorically begging on her hands and knees for them to help track Seulgi down.

**

She and Seulgi had stayed in the library well past the time Joohyun originally planned to leave. The sky had long since darkened. Streaks of vibrant pinks and calming orange had given way to dusky tones of lilac and periwinkle until finally, the night settled in. Not that Joohyun minded, that is.

They’d read together in comfortable silence for an hour or two before Joohyun stowed her copy of the book away and worked on finishing her homework. Math had never been her strong suit. There was a reason why she’d chosen English as her major.

With weary eyes, Joohyun grimaced down at the pages of her math textbook and tried in vain to control the frustration bubbling up in her chest. All of the equations were starting to blur together into one giant blob of ink. God.

“Math’s not your thing?” Seulgi asked.

“Not really, no,” Joohyun admitted, face screwed up.

Why did college Algebra have to be so difficult for her? She’d done decently enough in high school when it came to mathematics, relying on after school tutoring and consistent studying. But college was a different beast altogether. All of her classes commanded her full attention. Essays, group projects, presentations, exams, midterms. Stuff piled on much more quickly than in high school.

“What class are you in?”

“Professor Lee’s College Algebra II. I’ve been meaning to stay after class and ask her for help on this week’s module, but I keep chickening out,” Joohyun confesses lamely. “I’m worried she’ll find out how shit I am at math and get frustrated with me or something...I don’t know.”

“I think I might be able to help you out,” Seulgi replied eagerly. “I’m actually a math tutor on the second floor.” Joohyun’s contorted expression relaxed into one of utmost respect. “Oh my god, you tutor math? You’ve got to be a genius.” Seulgi blushed, shaking her head quickly. “No, math’s just always come easy to me,” Seulgi replied humbly. “What’re you guys working on?”

She scooched her armchair over to Joohyun’s side of the table and pored over the older woman’s textbook. Joohyun watched, transfixed, bewitched, as her eyes quickly scanned over the pages with lightning quick speed. An intoxicating perfume radiated from Seulgi. Notes of citrus and sandalwood and a hint of something else Joohyun couldn’t quite place washed over her senses.

The English major stopped herself from taking a deep breath in, eager to memorize the lavish scent of Seulgi’s perfume. Joohyun hadn’t been so close to her before. Using the moment to her advantage, she allowed her eyes to wander over Seulgi’s face. Her features were as striking as ever, enhanced by their close proximity. Joohyun’s heart started hammering wildly in her chest, and her skin prickled with nervousness.

**

“Hold up, unnie,” Yeri interrupted her. The youngest of them had a puzzled expression on her face. “Are you telling us you really sniffed her?”

Three pairs of overly curious eyes trained on Joohyun, looking up at her from her apartment’s living room couch. Joohyun’s mouth opened, then shut, then opened again. “She looks like a fish,” Seungwan whispered in Sooyoung’s ear. Yeri and Sooyoung snickered quietly.

“...”

“Um...unnie?” Yeri murmured.

Joohyun sniffs.

“Anyways, as I was saying -”

**

“You guys are learning about exponential and logarithmic functions?” Seulgi muttered to herself. An elegant hand flipped through the next couple of pages in Joohyun’s textbook. “Yeah,” Joohyun replied, still eyeballing the other woman. “I think I remember how to do those,” she glanced over a Joohyun with an encouraging smile, and somehow, Joohyun’s heart sped up even faster than before. “Let me just refresh myself a little bit and then we can try to work on some of your homework problems,” Seulgi said.

“Okay,” Joohyun squeaked.

Five minutes later, Seulgi broke out some scratch paper from her notebook.

“Can I see your work so far? I’ll go over it and we can work out any issues together,” Seulgi said. Nodding along obediently, Joohyun sorted through the jumbled mess of papers spread across the table and passed the assignment and the sheets of her handiwork over. She tried to ignore the fresh wave of Seulgi’s perfume that washed over her when Seulgi gently plucked the pages from her hands.

“Promise me you won’t, um, judge me or anything, okay?” She said timidly, feeling her body heat up with embarrassment. She rubbed her sweating palms on the sleeves of her jacket, trying to calm her nerves. “I know I’m bad at math so...,” she trailed off, unsure of how to describe how vulnerable she feels about Seulgi seeing her shoddy work. A gentle hand rested over her shoulder, nearly startling her out of her wits.

“Joohyun, I swear this little book nook is a no-judgment-zone,” Seulgi replied sincerely. The look in her eye was deadly serious, somber even. Joohyun struggled to even breathe at the intensity of Seulgi’s gaze. “Right,” Joohyun choked out, trying her best not to freak out over Seulgi’s touch. Her cheeks flared up like a lovesick teenager, and she dipped her head to try and hide it from Seulgi.

That definitely backfired. Seulgi, thinking Joohyun was purely embarrassed, leaned even closer. The proximity forced Joohyun to look her in the eye, a hair’s breadth away. “From what I’ve seen so far, you’re not as bad as you think,” Seulgi said, squeezing Joohyun’s shoulder. Instinctively, Joohyun held her breath.

“Trust me, I could tell you horror stories from other kids I’ve tutored,” Seulgi chuckled, completely unaware of Joohyun’s predicament. The hand disappeared. Joohyun heaved a sigh of relief. “Now, what do you say we get to work!”

An hour later, Joohyun shut her math textbook triumphantly. Seulgi moved her chair back to its original position across the table, satisfied her work as a tutor was finished. “Feeling better about logarithmic functions?” She asked, stretching her long limbs. They’d been sitting for a while, Joohyun finally realized. She checked her phone for the time. It was already 8:32 pm.

“Yes!” She exclaimed, her face bright, “Thank you for your help. I’m sure I’m going to make a decent grade on our next exam thanks to you. I’ll make it up to you somehow.” Seulgi shrugged her shoulders, “No need for that. I needed to brush up on my tutoring skills, anyways.” She watched as Joohyun cleared off the coffee table, diligently packing up her things.

“You heading out?”

“Yeah, I didn’t realize we’d been here for so long,” Joohyun laughed, glancing up from zipping her backpack shut. Seulgi looked down at her watch, “Oh my god, me either. Shit, I promised my roommate we’d watch a movie after she got off work.” The pair finished packing and slung their backpacks over their shoulders.

“So where did you park?” Seulgi asked as they made their way down to the first floor. She held the door open for Joohyun and their footsteps echoed in the stairwell. The rest of the library was deserted save for the occasional late night studier. It was weird, seeing the typically bustling campus so empty. It made Joohyun feel like she was in some alternative dimension.

“Maybe I can walk you to your car if we’re headed in the same direction? You know, safety in numbers and all that.” Joohyun felt her heart thrumming in her chest at Seulgi’s sweet gesture. As much as she’d love that, Joohyun knew if she didn’t spill the day’s events to her friends, she’d spontaneously combust.

They stepped out in the frigid cold air and stopped a few feet away from the library’s entrance. “That’s so nice of you to offer,” Joohyun murmured, thankful Seulgi wouldn’t be able to see her blushing as much under the cover of the dark. “I would totally take you up on that but I actually need to pick one of my friends up from her dorm. We’re having a girl’s night at my apartment.” Seulgi nodded in understanding. “Oh, I got you. I hope you guys have fun!” For a moment, she hesitated, as if she were about to say something more.

Joohyun decided it must’ve been a trick of the light. Seulgi tilted her head said, “Good night, Joohyun!” and started to walk away. “Good night, Seulgi!” Joohyun called, heading for Yeri’s dorm. She cast one last, lingering look over her shoulder to watch the shadow of Seulgi’s silhouette disappear. Despite the freezing wind pressing against her, Joohyun’s heart remained warmed over by the other girl.

**

“We’re finally getting to the part where you kidnapped me!” Yeri screeches with glee, smacking at Seungwan’s shoulder. The four of them had temporarily relocated to Joohyun’s kitchen for a late night snack of instant noodles. The Canadian was carefully adding the noodles into the boiling water, Sooyoung hovering just above her shoulder.

“Hey! This is hot, you know!” Seungwan protested, waving her wooden spoon at Yeri. Joohyun was poking through the fridge, looking for the container of kimchi she’d prepared earlier that week. “Technically, I was just borrowing you from your roommate - who you don’t even like, by the way,” she scoffed. “It’s not like I forced you or anything!”

**

Yeri had been reclining in her bed, minding her complete and utter business. She’d finished her homework for the day and was relaxing to one of her favorite podcasts when the banging began. At first, she thought it was just a random side effect from the podcast and let it slide. But her roommate’s deer-in-headlights expression told her otherwise.

“What?” She said, ripping her earbuds out. A thunderous bang filled the room. Yeri jumped. “W-who the hell is at our door?” She asked, unable to keep the fear out of her voice.

“Um, nose goes!” Her roommate yelped in response, jamming her entire hand to her face. The door shook. “Fine,” Yeri sighed in exasperation, pushing off of her bed. She gulped as the pounding on the door increased in frequency. She glanced back at her roommate, who was currently pulling her bedsheets over her head in a woeful attempt to hide.

“If I die, this is on you, dude. No one else. Also, if I do die, don’t take any of my stuff,” she said, making her way to the door. Yeri took a deep breath in, then out, mentally preparing herself for whatever lay behind the door. Screwing her eyes shut, she grabbed the handle and swung the door open.

“Yeri-ah!”

A familiar voice screeched out, causing Yeri’s eyes to snap open in surprise. “Unnie?” She blinked and the older woman sidestepped gracefully into her room. She’d never felt so relieved in her life. “We thought someone was trying to break in or murder us or something,” Yeri chuckled nervously, letting the door swing shut. She clutched a hand to her chest. “It sounded like something out of a zombie apocalypse movie!”

A hand gripped her arm.

“What the?”

Before Yeri could even turn around, she found herself being dragged out the door by Joohyun herself.

**

“Ah, there it is!” Joohyun exclaimed, picking out the kimchi container from the back of the fridge. When she shut it, she noticed all three of her friends giving her an odd look.

“What? You guys don’t want kimchi?” Joohyun asked, shaking the container.

“You really did kidnap Yeri?” Sooyoung said finally, breaking out in peals of laughter. Seungwan cracked up next after looking at Yeri’s bewildered expression.

“Well…,” Joohyun trailed off. She shot Yeri an apologetic look. “I don’t know, maybe?” Sooyoung walked over to one of the kitchen cupboards, searching for the bowls. “Did anything else happen?” The taller girl asked, setting four delicately painted bowls down on the kitchen counter. Seungwan started to dole out portions of the ramen, Yeri’s kidnapping long forgotten in favor of the tasty treat.

“No, there’s much more,” Joohyun replied, motioning the girls back to the living room. Her voice was shrill with excitement. “She reads books! She brought a copy of the same book I’m reading for Intro to Fiction right now and suggested we meet up and discuss our thoughts on them! And she even suggested we go to a Thai place to talk about the book next week!”

Yeri nearly dropped her ramen in surprise. “She did what!” The four of them eagerly made their way back to the living room and piled onto the sofa, ready to listen to the rest of Joohyun’s story. Once she’d finally finished catching everyone up, a hushed, awed silence filled the room.

Her three friends seemed stunned, still trying to process everything. She gave them a second to let it sink in. It was somewhat startling for them to witness Joohyun’s icy attitude towards strangers melt away at the mere mention of Seulgi’s name. It was clear to them Joohyun was desperate to reconnect with the woman. From what Joohyun told them about Seulgi, she seemed gorgeous, nice, thoughtful, and definitely interested in Joohyun.

“So she asked you out?” Seungwan asked first. “We’re all in agreement there, right?” The Canadian looked around, trying to discern everyone else’s reactions.

Joohyun threw her hands up in the air. “I don’t know! She could’ve meant it as just friends.” She was starting to doubt her initial thoughts.

Sooyoung gave her a pointed look. They were all slumped over the couch, empty bowls littering the coffee table, half-finished cups of hot chocolate in hand. “Well, it sounds like a date to me, too. She’s got to be interested in you. I mean, she’s reading the same book as you and genuinely wants to spend more time with you and even helped you with your math homework,” the tall girl says thoughtfully.

“Yeah, there’s no way she’d do all that if she weren’t at least a tiny bit interested, Joohyun,” Seungwan chimes in again. She glances over at Yeri, who still seemed frozen in shock. “Maybe,” Joohyun deflects quickly. “Anyways, that’s why I need Yeri’s computer whiz skills to help me find Seulgi,” she changed the subject. “I can’t believe I forgot to ask for her number. Maybe that’s why she hesitated before we parted ways tonight?”

“You know…just because I’m a Computer Science major doesn’t necessarily mean I can hack into our university’s student database for you, unnie,” Yeri chortles, throwing her head back against Joohyun’s sofa cushions. Sooyoung throws an arm around the younger woman casually, leaning into Yeri’s slender frame, “Yeah, unnie. You’ve been watching way too many movies lately.”

The English major groans, burying her face into one of her purple throw pillows. Well, it was worth a shot, Joohyun thinks to herself as she tries to think up more ways to get in touch with the brunette woman. “I can’t believe it,” she mutters dejectedly. Seungwan gives her a sympathetic pat on the back. “Hasn’t technology evolved enough for this!”

“There’s probably a billion ‘Seulgi’s’ out there, why didn’t you get her number when you had the chance?” Yeri asks playfully, smacking Joohyun lightly on the shoulder. “It’s not that simple, Yeri!” Joohyun said, her voice comically muffled from behind the plush cushion. The Computer Science major giggled quietly, rolling her eyes when the older woman began flailing about beside her.

“Unnie, no need to throw a temper tantrum,” Yeri snickered to Seungwan and Sooyoung. She glanced over at the pair, caught them holding hands. Glancing away from the shy pair, she propped her chin on her elbow and watched Joohyun’s random movements with slight amusement.

“Hey, this is my apartment you’re sitting in, is it not?” Joohyun muttered, pushing off of the couch to begin pacing in front of the television. Yeri paused the K-drama and watched her friend with a mischievous glint in her eye, “Oh my god, wait a minute, you’re in love!”

At the younger woman’s sudden outburst, Joohyun jumps slightly, though her face reconstructs into perfect indifference not a moment later. “I’m not! I’m just...interested, that’s all. It’s a part of our human nature to be curious, right? Sooyoung, you’re a psychology major - back me up here.” The taller girl looks over at them, a disinterested gleam in her eye.

She puts a hand to Joohyun’s forehead as if to take her temperature. After a few heartstopping moments, she pulls away with a sly grin.

“Yep. It’s just as I’d thought.”

Joohyun flicks up an eyebrow.

“Joohyun-unnie is whipped, Yeri-ah.”

The three girls bust out in a fit of laughter, clapping their hands together furiously. Joohyun remains eerily silent.

“...”

“Wait, why is she looking at us like that?” Yeri whispered fearfully.

“Guys, DUCK!” Seungwan yells. Her warning comes a millisecond too late, and a purple throw pillow smacks both girls square in the face.

“Yah!”

**

The rest of the week flew by, with each passing day further building Joohyun’s anticipation for what was to come. She was able to regain her drive and focus during her classes. She’d stopped searching so obviously for Seulgi around campus. She spent her time working on being more present with her friends: cracking jokes, sending memes in the group chat, listening closely to what her friends were saying.

But anyone who knew her could see how excited she was, bubbling underneath her calm demeanor. Sooyoung and Seungwan both thought it was cute. Yeri thought it was cheesy. Joohyun was too caught up in her own little world to even notice them noticing her. Every day, they’d check in with her about Seulgi, asking if Jooohyun had run into her again, found her social media yet, the works.

Nothing seemed to ruin Joohyun’s elated mood. Not the perpetual rain that started up Wednesday evening, not forgetting her coffee at home the next day (yes, Joohyun had a slight caffeine addiction), and not even staining one of her favorite shirts at lunch on Thursday. Her three friends all agreed it was weird. A good weird, nonetheless.

The biggest indicator of Joohyun’s fantastical mood occurred that Friday. The four of them filed into their favorite dumpling spot near Joohyun’s apartment. The restaurant was packed with the fresh, young faces of other college students. A canopy of clinking eating utensils, laughter, sizzling food, and loud voices boomed throughout the room.

Halfway into their meal, they were interrupted by another patron. Or rather, Joohyun was interrupted by him. Yeri and Sooyoung braced themselves as they watched, eyes comically wide, mouths ajar, as the young man fumbled over his words. Seungwan clutched at Sooyoung’s arm in fear, turning her face into the other girl’s neck so she didn’t have to watch. The three of them silently prayed there wouldn’t be much of a scene.

“Ah, hello there,” the young man greeted nervously. He looked vaguely familiar to Joohyun, but she couldn’t quite place where she’d seen him. No doubt somewhere on campus, judging by his age.

“Hey,” Joohyun replied casually, munching on another dumpling. Seungwan screwed her eyes shut, whimpering quietly, and Sooyoung discreetly held her hand underneath the tabletop. Yeri took a sip of her drink but nearly forgot to swallow. “If you’ll excuse me my friends and I are sharing dinner. What’s the matter?” Joohyun asked calmly, politely. The young man squirmed with unease as she leveled her gaze on him.

“Well, we had a...a history class last semester and I was wondering…?” He trailed off, leaving Joohyun to stare blankly up at him. She popped another dumpling into her mouth.

“Yes?” She asked gently, almost distractedly. Her mouth was full and she chewed slowly, seemingly unbothered by his approach. Her friends shot bewildered looks at each other. Usually, by this point, Joohyun would have her admirers scrambling for the door in fear. What the fuck, Yeri mouthed to Seungwan, who she considered the closest to Joohyun.

Seungwan made a face, I don’t know, the fuck? They turned to Sooyoung for an explanation but the taller girl grimaced. Don’t look at me, idiots! With brimming curiosity, the trio turned back to Joohyun and the young man, eager to find out what was going to happen next.

“Are you free next week? I’d like t-to take you out sometime, maybe?” He stammered, bobbing back and forth on the bottoms of his heels. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m not interested,” Joohyun said, an air of polite firmness to her words. She smiled brilliantly at him and he seemed shellshocked at her beauty. “Ah, yes, okay then,” he replied, his words halting. “I’m sorry to bother you, I hope you have a good dinner.” He bowed profusely to all of them and walked away.

Joohyun turned to her friends, startled at their incredulous faces. “What’s wrong?” She laughed, popping another dumpling into her mouth. “You guys look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

“You didn’t, like, rip his throat out, unnie,” Seungwan whispered in awe, untangling herself from Sooyoung’s arm. She ignored the way the taller woman shot her a hurt look, rubbing a reassuring palm over their intertwined hands. Joohyun caught the action out of the corner of her eye and stifled a smile.

She knew Sooyoung and Seungwan were somewhat private and protective people. Whatever was going on between them, they would tell her when they were ready. She respected that. Yeri, on the other hand, remained oblivious, completely enthralled by Joohyun’s cool behavior. “Yeah, usually you’re kicking them to the curb but not this time,” Yeri murmured, matching Seungwan’s hushed tones.

She tried shoveling a dumpling in her mouth but missed, too busy scouring Joohyun’s face for any sign of malice. Instantly, all of them cracked up. “Yeah, I dunno, he didn’t seem so bad,” Joohyun shrugged nonchalantly. Sooyoung’s eyebrows shot up and she looked as if she were about to make another sarcastic remark but thought better of it.

Joohyun was changing and that was fine, if anything, it was an improvement. Ever since she stepped foot on SM’s campus, the English major had been garnering an ice queen reputation. Her friends knew she was anything but. If she let you get close enough, people would see that Joohyun radiated a unique warmth. She was shy around strangers and only spoke when being spoken to. As she became more comfortable, Joohyun would speak her mind freely and release thunderous bouts of laughter. She was a typical homebody, enjoying her free time but always willing to try out new things if her friends were by her side.

“True,” Sooyoung said simply. “I’m glad you didn’t give this one a bloody nose.” Joohyun frowns. “I told you guys already, that was an accident!”


	8. Gem on Gangnam

The familiar chime of bells tied to the shop’s front door rang out, alerting Joohyun of incoming customers. “Welcome in!” Joohyun called cheerfully from behind the cluttered counter. She straightened from where she had been stooped over, rearranging boxes of newly arrived books to be stocked.

Out of habit, she smooths a hand over her blouse, ensuring her appearance didn’t look too ruffled. It was a bright, Saturday afternoon. The radiant sun hung high in the air, casting everything in a shimmering, summery glow. If only the temperature matched the warm weather, Joohyun thought to herself. Touches of spring were popping up here and there - a few days with decent temperatures, some of the trees were beginning to flower.

February was nearly over and Joohyun couldn’t wait for March to arrive. Maybe then she wouldn’t have to wear three layers just to walk outside for a second. A pair of girls had stepped arm in arm through the threshold, speaking in hushed tones. Joohyun glanced over at them and felt her body stiffen. That side profile...wait a second, wasn’t that...? Before Joohyun could get a better look, the girls disappeared behind one of the Fiction bookshelves.

“Huh,” Joohyun muttered to herself, shaking her head. She hoped she wasn’t starting to imagine things. She turned back to tearing open boxes with her boxcutter and setting them out for her coworkers, Nayeon and Jeongyeon, to display throughout the store. Over the David Bowie record playing, she could just make out their voices from somewhere in the back of the store, no doubt bantering over how to best display the books. Joohyun cracked a smile. They were both interesting characters.

Nayeon was constantly flirting with Jeongyeon, but the other girl didn’t seem to realize it. Because she was so good at brushing off Nayeon’s advances, Joohyun couldn’t tell if the advances were serious or not. Sometimes, things seemed reciprocated. Jeongyeon would flirt back on some days, flashing her stunning smile to Nayeon and making the other girl trip up over her words. Other times, Jeongyeon merely scoffed. It was a little confusing.

Regardless, Joohyun enjoyed working with them. Their playful, prankster dynamic added a lot of character to Joohyun’s shifts. When Joohyun had just started at Gem on Gangnam, Nayeon had pulled one of the cheesiest pranks in the book on her, and she still fell for it. Joohyun broke down the empty box, neatly folded it into the recycling bin, then moved to open the next box.

They’d had been preoccupied all day by displaying the latest of their stock on the shelves lining the walls. This latest shipment was larger than they were used to. Consequently, it was taking twice the usual amount of time for them to sort it away. Their store, though only a few years old, had gained popularity due to its close proximity to popular shopping areas and restaurants.

Luckily, only a handful of customers had dropped by during Joohyun’s shift so far. Fewer people were out and about, donning thick downy parkas to protect them from the biting cold. The majority of people who came into the store knew exactly what they were looking for and where to get it from. These customers were in and out of the store in less than ten minutes. Others lingered in the store, walking around leisurely and thoroughly checking out their wares.

Joohyun enjoyed watching them browse around, poring through everything. Gem on Gangnam boasted local ownership, a large selection of books from around the world, and featured local artists’ work. Drawings and paintings in various colors, styles, shapes, and sizes decorated the creamy walls in handsome frames. Handmade pottery, embroidery, jewelry, and other trinkets were tastefully laid out on various tables for customers to view.

Row upon row of books were displayed in natural wood shelves, complete with built in lights that cast a heavenly glow upon each title. Various houseplants and succulents were scattered throughout the store on shelves along the walls. A few adorned the tops of bookshelves, further emphasizing the natural, earthy element of the store. Armchairs of crushed green velvet were placed around the room, encouraging patrons to sit and read. The entire store ambiance screamed warmth and welcoming. Joohyun loved it.

A vintage record player, gently refurbished, softly played behind the counter. Picking out what music she wanted to listen to from the store’s immense collection was one of Joohyun’s favorite parts of the job. Music was probably her second love to reading. Another reason why Joohyun enjoyed working with Nayeon and Jeongyeon is that they always let her get first dibs on what records to play.

On the other side of the store, a different pair of voices are steadily growing in volume. Three boxes left. Nayeon and Jeongyeon were slowly making progress. After Joohyun finished unboxing what was left of the box in front of her, she would join them, categorically shelving the books for customers to see.

“I could’ve sworn they had it listed on their website,” one of them was saying. Though distinctly feminine, it had a deep, relaxing quality to it. Joohyun could hear the frown in her voice. Clearly, the owner of the voice was in distress. “I made sure I double-checked before we came here, so it’s got to be somewhere. I knew I should’ve looked for it sooner if I hadn’t been scheduled to work so much.”

“Hey, calm down, it’ll be alright. I’m sure it’s here, too. Maybe we should ask one of the employees?” There’s a pause. Joohyun guessed they were probably looking around for Nayeon and Jeongyeon, no doubt still nagging at each other. “Well, those two look like they’re in the middle of restocking...maybe the girl at the front desk can help us? I’ll ask for you if you’re too nervous.”

Joohyun felt her chest tighten at the familiarity of that voice. No doubt, that must be...before she could finish the thought, Seulgi rounded the corner, arm in arm with a girl she didn’t recognize. The newcomer’s pale, serious face was framed by a set of silky bangs and a sharp jaw. Her hair was the color of moonlight, a soft silvery color. She had a set of piercing eyes that remained trained to the ground as Seulgi led the way to the front desk.

Although she seemed shy and embarrassed, a quiet air of confidence hung around her broad shoulders. She was pretty, Joohyun thought to herself. Really, really pretty. Joohyun felt her stomach lurch a little. Were she and Seulgi...an item? Is that why they were here together, arm in arm? A flare of jealousy ignited in her. She found herself scrambling to maintain her composure, pretending to flip through one of the books strewn about the counter.

“Um, excuse me, ma’am?” Joohyun looked up with her customer service smile. Seulgi froze when she recognized her. “Oh! Joohyun, it’s you!” She called out in surprise, eagerly making her way over to the counter. Joohyun laughed, giving her a tiny wave.

“Hi, Seulgi.”

“Oh my goodness, Joohyun, hello!” She greeted her warmly, suddenly forgetting the girl standing beside her. Seeing the girl’s undeniable joy quickly extinguished the writhing jealousy Joohyun had been experiencing. Seulgi combed a quick hand through her hair and stepped up to the register. The girl beside her gave Joohyun a quick once over before dipping her head shyly in greeting, lingering a tiny bit behind Seulgi.

“I didn’t know you worked here!” Seulgi said.

Joohyun beamed at her and her friend, neatly rearranging the counter to make it less cluttered. “Yeah, it’s kind of cool, isn’t it?” She made a show of looking around the room for added effect. “We’ve been working on getting the right kind of atmosphere for a while, I think we’ve finally got it.”

“I think so, too. This place suits you, you know, being an English major and all. It’s very tranquil in here,” Seulgi gestures around the store with a wave of her hand. “The music’s always good, too. How long have you been pushing books for?”

“About a year and a half now.”

Seulgi’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “Really?”

Joohyun nods her head.

“That’s so weird,” Seulgi frowns. “I feel like I should’ve run into you before.”

“You’re a regular?” Joohyun asks, surprised.

“Yeah, I come here all the time! This is one of the few places near campus that has a huge selection of international stuff. Usually, whatever I’m looking for, you already have in stock. Plus this place is like, a stone’s throw away from my apartment.” She props an arm up on the countertop casually, “And there’s a really good café just across the street.” Seulgi jabs a finger behind her, aimed at the aptly named coffee shop, the Tea Leaf.

“You like the Tea Leaf, too?” Joohyun asked excitedly, her smile growing. At these new discoveries, she had long forgotten the flutter of jealousy felt at the sight of Seulgi’s friend.

“Yes! Their lavender honey latte is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. One of my friends brought me there and had me try it, never ordered anything else since then. I like to ride my bike down here, pick out a book, then head over for a coffee and get some studying done.”

“That sounds really nice! I’m a fan of their chai tea lattes, just the right amount of spices for me. Sometimes I go there after a shift and do homework, too,” Joohyun says enthusiastically, absorbing the information. She had to admit, it was rather odd she and Seulgi hadn’t crossed paths earlier.

Then again, Joohyun didn’t spend much time daydreaming or staring out of the shop’s windows during her shifts (Exhibit A: Nayeon, Exhibit B: Jeongyeon). She also liked to keep the latest book she was reading under the counter, using her free time during her shift to continue reading.

“Oh, chai tea? Is that what you usually get when you go to cafe’s?” Joohyun nodded, “I usually drink enough coffee as it is, so I like to get something different when I’m at a coffee shop. I practically live and breathe coffee beans.” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, feeling a tad bit shy.

“Me too. I usually drink two cups a day during the week! I’ll have to try one next time I go, it sounds nice,” Seulgi ran a hand through her hair again.

“And I’ll get the honey lavender latte, it sounds delicious.”

They stared fondly at each other before a quiet cough from Seulgi’s companion snapped them out of it. Instantly, Seulgi turned to the girl, as if only then realizing she’d been standing there all along. Joohyun peered over at her once more but found she still didn’t recognize her from anywhere. She bit back the urge to let the smile drop off her face.

“Ah, yes,” Seulgi said, waving her friend forward urgently. “Joohyun, this is my roommate, Moonbyul!” Moonbyul bowed curtly at her and flashed a charming smile up at her.

“It’s nice to meet someone I’ve heard so much about,” she said smoothly, shooting a mischievous look at Seulgi. Joohyun managed to keep her surprise in check, taking the other girl’s words in stride. So Seulgi had been talking about her? Interesting. “Don’t, uh, mind her, she’s known for pulling jokes on people,” Seulgi wheezed beside Moonbyul, clearly trying to brush off what she’d said.

Moonbyul rolled her eyes at her roommate and winked at Joohyun when Seulgi looks away. “My apologies. I’m notorious for them, I’m afraid,” she said teasingly, eyes dancing with delight. Her words did nothing to soothe her frazzled roommate but they made Joohyun’s heart begin to do somersaults. Joohyun thought you could probably see Seulgi’s blush all the way down the road.

It was cute, seeing Seulgi being so shy. Joohyun hadn’t gotten to see much of that side of her yet. It was a nice contrast to Seulgi’s typically suave persona. For once, it wasn’t her tripping up over her words or struggling to find something to say. Moonbyul seemed to think the same thing, showing her amusement by quietly snickering and even going so far as to slap a hand on Seulgi’s back.

“Right,” Joohyun giggled, shooting a subtle wink back at Moonbyul. She and Sooyoung and Yeri would all get along smashingly, Joohyun decided. Their personalities matched each other to a tee. Seulgi narrowed her eyes at her roommate, but before she could say anything, Joohyun interrupted her.

“So what is it I can help you ladies with today?” Seulgi nudged Moonbyul with her elbow, scowling at her. Ignoring the way her friend was boring holes into the side of her face with her eyes, Moonbyul maintained an easy, relaxed smile. “I was looking for The Twilight series? It looked like you guys have it in stock but I can’t seem to figure out which section it’s in.”

At the mention of the series, Joohyun’s excitement faltered slightly. She hadn’t pinned Moonbyul as a Twilight fangirl. Not when the girl looked like she belonged in some hipster biker gang with her leather jacket and black graphic tee tucked into a pair of black skinny jeans. Then again, fuck stereotypes, right? Moonbyul noticed Joohyun’s expression of subtle disdain and matched it amicably.

“I know, I know. It’s not for me if that makes it any better.” Seulgi snorted as Moonbyul tried to explain further. “My girlfriend’s a really big sucker for vampires and romance and all that junk. For the longest time, she was Team Bella.” The three of them cracked up momentarily. “Anyways, our anniversary’s coming up and I wanted to surprise her with a nice boxed set.”

Joohyun stepped out from behind the counter, “No worries, I guess I was kind of Team Bella, too. Here, follow me. I can point you in the right direction.” She waved a hand over her shoulder and made her way towards the Fantasy Fiction section. “You’re an English major, right?” Moonbyul asked conversationally.

“Yeah,” Joohyun replied. They passed by Nayeon and Jeongyeon in the Science Fiction section, who stopped yakking for a split second to give them a wave. “I bet I look like such a huge nerd, working in a bookstore and always reading and that,” she laughed.

“Nah. I think it’s cool. This is one of the coolest bookstores I’ve been in,” Moonbyul said. “If I didn’t already have a job as a bartender, I’d want to work here. This is what I want my future apartment to look like.” Joohyun glanced over her shoulder to catch Moonbyul giving Seulgi a playful shove. “You know, once I kick this hethen out,” she joked. “As if!” Seulgi protested, “Without me, our apartment would look disastrous. You’re lucky Yongsun’s got an eye for interior design.”

The three of them came to a stop at a shelf labeled “M”, chock-full of colorful books. Joohyun ran a hand along the spines carefully, searching for Meyers. Beside her, Moonbyul and Seulgi waited patiently, silent anticipation rolling off them in waves. Finally, Joohyun’s hand stopped.

“Looks like you’re getting the last one!” Joohyun said, pulling the boxed set from its shelf. She held it out for Moonbyul with a smile, who quickly clasped it between her hands and gave a squeal of utmost joy. The childlike behavior made Seulgi and Joohyun giggle. “Thank you! These are gorgeous. She’s always loved the combination of red and white and they’ll match the bouquet I got for her perfectly.”

“It’s no problem at all. I hope you and Yongsun have a wonderful anniversary. Let me ring you up and you guys can be on your way,” Joohyun replied genuinely. She loved helping people, especially friends of friends. Seulgi flashed her a look of such appreciation it made Joohyun’s knees feel week. The trio made their way back to the register but not before running into her coworkers again.

“Nayeon, that’s not what I was talking about!” Jeongyeon’s protested loudly. They were in the nonfiction side of the store now, and Joohyun couldn’t fight off her curiosity any longer. She, Seulgi, and Moonbyul peered around the corner. The two young women in question were both shelving an armful of books. Jeongyeon was shaking her head, sending a shower of powder blue strands over her shoulders. Her delicate features were crumpled up in a frown that could only have been caused by Nayeon.

Nayeon was scoffing in disbelief, large eyes wide with suspicion. “Oh, well, if we weren’t talking about my buns, then what were we talking about?” Joohyun hears the other woman remark snarkily. From over her shoulder, she hears Moonbyul cracking up.

“A movie. Literally, Spongebob the Movie,” Jeongyeon throws her hands up in exasperation. “The iconic opening scene where Spongebob’s dreaming he’s the manager?” Nayeon’s face lacks a glimmer of recognition that further serves to rile her. She hastily shoves a book into place. “You know, he busts in wearing these sick cowboy boots, flips off the top of some customer’s burger bun, places the missing slice of cheese on it, and saves the day. That is what we were discussing.”

“Huh,” the other woman says, rolling her eyes. “You’re sure you don’t want to hear about my buns?” Nayeon asks innocently, undeterred. She looks around and finally notices they’re being watched. She shoots a sly wink Joohyun’s way. “You’re insatiable,” Jeongyeon replies, turning away with a fresh stack of books in her arms. “Funny, that’s what my ex-girlfriend said, too,” Nayeon jokes, following her.

After such a spectacle, Joohyun led Moonbyul and Seulgi back to the front counter, laughing the entire way. “Are they always like that?” Seulgi asked once she’d gotten ahold of herself. “Yes. Nayeon’s absolutely smitten with Jeongyeon, the girl with the blue hair. She’s rather persistent and somehow Jeongyeon rolls with it.” She walks around the counter and scans Moonbyul’s book set.

“Probably because she secretly enjoys it,” the silver haired girl smirks. Seulgi shoots her a confused look, “You think so, Byul?” Joohyun quietly begins packaging the books into a gift box, concentrating on her work. “For sure. Did you guys not see the way Jeongyeon was blushing? There’s a spark there.” The wiggles her brow at Seulgi and Joohyun, who were glancing at each other, “Trust me, I can feel tension from a mile away.”

At the same time, both girls look away, breaking eye contact. Moonbyul catches the action but says nothing, her smile growing wider. She pays for the books with the same knowing grin plastered across her features while Seulgi looks out the window at the Tea Leaf. With the books safely packaged away in an intricately wrapped giftbox, the girls were no doubt on their way to leave. Joohyun felt her heart pang a little bit.

It had been nice, getting to know Moonbyul. And see Seulgi, of course. She had a couple of hours left before she was off and Joohyun, surprising herself, found herself craving for more company.

“How often do you work, Joohyun?” Moonbyul asks, bowing her thanks at Joohyun’s handiwork. She wrapped her arms protectively around the box.

“Only the weekends during the school year,” Joohyun said, propping her elbows up on the counter. “It’s not much, but any income helps, really. During breaks, I’m fulltime.”

“I see,” Moonbyul replied. “I’m glad you’re not working too much right now. I should follow your example, I’ve been working one too many days at the Mamamoo Lounge lately.”

“You’re a bartender there, right?” Joohyun asked.

“You got it!”

“She’s the best bartender they’ve got,” Seulgi chimed in with pride.

Moonbyul shook her head at the praise. “Not by a long shot, but I’m getting there. Maybe one day.”

“No need to be modest, Byul,” Seulgi teased. She turned to Joohyun, “She’s the youngest bartender there but she’s one of the few who really knows her stuff. She’s a wizard at making drinks. She’ll come home and make some sometimes, all these fancy names I’ve never heard of before, it’s insane.”

Joohyun’s eyebrows shot up, “Is that so?”

Moonbyul shuffled her weight from one foot to another, clearly not used to such praise. Joohyun smiled gently at her. “Well...maybe,” Moonbyul admitted. “You could come over one day and I can make you something if you’d like. On the house, of course.” She jabbed a finger over at Seulgi. “You can drag Seulgi along, too. I don’t think she’d mind.”

“Moonbyul!” Seulgi yelped, mortified.

“...Or some of your other friends.”

“That sounds tempting,” Joohyun admits sheepishly. “What’s the Mamamoo Lounge like? I’ve never been before.”

Moonbyul and Seulgi spent the next ten minutes explaining the ambiance, decor, and location. Joohyun stood there, leaning a hip against the counter, completely enthralled by their words. She was distantly aware of how Nayeon and Jeongyeon came and went, picking up the rest of the books she’d stacked up.

According to the two roommates, Mamamoo Lounge was about a half hour away from the bookstore, tucked away in a different part of Seoul. It wasn’t just your run of the mill bar, either, Moonbyul had said with a puff in her chest. The Lounge took pride in an exquisite kind of drinking experience. There was a loose dress code that deterred most college students from entering the establishment.

“It’s honestly not as strict as people think,” Moonbyul explained. “As long as you look decent enough, you’ll breeze through the bouncers. It’s only enforced on the more rowdy college kids.”

From what they were saying, Joohyun was more than intrigued. “What bars have you been to around here?” Moonbyul asked. “I could give you a few more recommendations if you like.”

“Byul’s kind of a connoisseur of anything drink or bar or club related,” Seulgi sprinkled in helpfully. “She’s the queen of the night scene!”

“Oh, I actually don’t tend to go out much, honestly. I’m a bit of a homebody. My friends used to drag me out to house parties or apartment parties all the time last year and I kind of hated it,” she laughed to herself and rubbed a hand over her arm. “I’m kind of awkward around new people, so I usually kept quiet and hovered over my friends’ shoulders the entire time on my phone,” Joohyun said, dipping her head bashfully.

The two roommates nodded their heads with complete understanding. “That’s alright! Believe it or not, Seulgi was the same way for a bit. I couldn’t get that girl to go out with me for the longest time,” Moonbyul said reassuringly.

“Really?” Joohyun perked up. Her eyes landed on Seulgi. It was hard to imagine Seulgi as a homebody. She seemed outgoing and confident like she’d fit right in with a bustling crowd of drunk college students crammed in a tiny student apartment. Don’t judge a book by its cover. “It just didn’t seem like much fun to me at the time,” Seulgi stammered, positively flushing. Her roommate had exposed her softer, more shy side twice now.

“I’m kind of the same way at house or apartment parties. I went to a couple my freshman year and swore them off when some frat guy and his goon friends kept trying to hit on me and my girls,” Seulgi shrugged. “That is, until we met and I introduced you to the real Seoul nightlife,” Moonbyul added with a pleased expression. She threw an arm around Seulgi’s shoulders and fondly ruffled her hair.

“You make an awfully tempting case,” Joohyun told Moonbyul, still stuck on picturing a quiet, subdued Seulgi. “Just in case, what are a few of your favorites?” Moonbyul tapped a finger to her chin for a moment. “Do you have a piece of paper and a pen I could borrow?” She asked. Joohyun procured a copy of the daily newspaper and a ballpoint pen, which Moonbyul promptly passed to Seulgi with a pointed look.

Fifteen minutes later, Joohyun was watching the pair stroll down the street. Moonbyul was chatting excitedly, mouth moving a mile a minute while Seulgi seemed to only nod along in response. She was sad to see them go. When they turned one final corner and disappeared from view, Joohyun finally looked down at the newspaper. At the very top, Seulgi had jotted down a list of the establishments Moonbyul had listed off - places she thought would match the same relaxed atmosphere of the Mamamoo Lounge.

She folded up the paper and tucked it into her back jeans pocket for later, then checked the time. Oh shit. Her shift ended in a little less than an hour. She spun around, looking for the rest of the boxes left unopened. To her surprise, all of them had been cleared away and folded into the recycling bin. Not a single book was left on the counter. Furrowing her brow together, she set off between the shelves, looking for an explanation from Nayeon and Jeongyeon.

She turned into the history section and found the pair sitting criss-cross-apple sauce, side by side on the hardwood floor. Giant picture books showcasing elegant black and white photos were splayed out in front of them. Surprisingly, neither one of them were bickering with each other. They looked at peace, comfortable leaning against each other. Joohyun hesitated, feeling as though she were intruding on a rather intimate moment.

Maybe Moonbyul had been right along, Joohyun smiled to herself. Nayeon looked up at her and jabbed an elbow in Jeongyeon’s ribs to grab her attention.

“Hey, Joohyun,” she greeted warmly as Jeongyeon cursed at her underneath her breath. “Did your friends leave already?” Joohyun stepped closer, watching the pair subtly lean away from each other. “They seemed nice,” Jeongyeon managed through grit teeth. She rubbed gingerly at her side, trying not to wince too much.

“Yeah, they had another errand to run,” Joohyun replied. “Did you guys, are there any books left?” Her coworkers shook their heads. Joohyun frowned, feeling guilt building up in her chest. “Oh gosh, I’m sorry, guys. I didn’t mean to talk to them for so long. I was going to help you put them out.” Nayeon waved a hand at her, “Don’t worry about it, Joohyun. You looked like you were having so much fun, neither of us had the heart to interrupt.”

“Plus, the one with the long dark hair seemed interested in you,” Jeongyeon said nonchalantly, turning a page in her book. Nayeon nodded along, expression smug. “Yeah, she hardly looked away from you the entire time you guys were talking, right, Jeongyeon?” The other woman nodded her head slowly, eyes still fixated on her book. Joohyun struggled to conceal her excitement at her coworker’s observations.

“Oh, really?” She murmured quietly. The corners of her lips kept turning up into a smile. “I guess I...hadn’t noticed.” Nayeon hummed, shrugging her shoulders. She turned back to her book, signaling the end of their conversation. Joohyun turned on her heel and made her way back slowly to the counter, internally screaming with every step she took. She couldn’t wait to tell her friends about today’s latest developments.


	9. Sunday Funday

Moonbyul and Seulgi burst out into the deserted street, heading back to their apartment. If Seulgi had looked up, she would’ve witnessed the most beautiful sunset she’d seen in at least a month. The sun was threatening to set, hanging lazily just above the horizon. Streaks of gold and brilliant pink puffs of cloud painted the sky into a beautiful picture. But Seulgi’s head felt like it was made out of lead and her ears were clogged up with words she hadn’t said.

As they trudged along, Seulgi fought the urge to look over her shoulder at Gem on Gangnam. She could still feel Joohyun’s eyes lingering over them through the large windows of the bookstore. But she didn’t want to seem as obvious as she probably already had been, thanks to Moonbyul’s blabbering. With a herculean effort, she kept her eyes trained forward on the sidewalk.

The wheels and cogs of Seulgi’s brain were jamming. She’d just spent the past hour and a half talking it up with her crush, who was without the shadow of a doubt, the prettiest girl she’d ever laid eyes on in her entire nineteen years of living. Joohyun’s glittering brown sugar gaze, the long dark chocolate locks that fell below her shoulders, the perfect ratio of her petite features. She had absolutely starstruck in the English major’s presence. Seulgi was still trying to process what the fuck even happened in there.

Meanwhile, Moobyul was talking a mile a minute. “That was Joohyun?” Seulgi distantly heard the other girl raving. “I know you told Yongsun and me that she was pretty, but what the hell? That girl should be doing CF’s or modeling for High Cut. She’s like...Aphrodite’s daughter or some shit! Holy crap!” Moonbyul exclaimed. She was clearly elated for her friend, eyes wide with excitement. She kept smacking at Seulgi’s arm, trying to grab her attention.

“This is so great, oh my god. She seems so sweet. I think she’d be good for you, Seul. I can’t believe you nailed that date with her later! I hope she texts you soon. If you don’t set a date soon, you guys might never go out. Can’t let these sparks die out, baby!” She pumped a fist in the air with gusto.

At this, Seulgi snapped out of her lovesick daze. “Hold up, Joohyun can’t text me,” she said, stuffing her hands into her pockets. They turned the street corner and continued on their way. As the sun lowered, the neon lights of the shops lining the street flickered to life. Their lights cast the sidewalk in an ever-changing glow of colors. She stared blankly at her elongated shadow.

“She still doesn’t have my number, Moonbyul.”

“Wait, what? You didn’t…?” Moonbyul trailed off in confusion. A beat later, the silver haired girl groaned and clapped a hand to her cheek. “Oh my god. Seulgi, I thought you got my hint!”

“Wait, what hint?”

“Oh my god. Dude. You’re so oblivious sometimes, Seul.”

“Moonbyul, what hint?”

Her roommate stopped walking and stared at her as if she’d grown another set of eyes or something. “When I asked you to write the names of all those bars, that was the perfect opportunity to give Joohyun your number. That was the hint.” Seulgi’s face lit up with realization, then crumpled with disappointment when she realized she’d spoiled her chance. Shit, not again.

Joohyun really kept tripping her up. Something to do with those large, doe eyes that so soulfully peered into hers. Or the curve of her lips as they pulled up into a jubilant smile. Or the way her eyebrow liked to flick up when she was feeling in a daring mood. Whatever it was, Joohyun’s effect on her definitely made her lose a little bit of her edge. This was the third time she’d meant to get Joohyun’s number and had completely forgotten about it until it was much too late.

“Damn,” she mumbled quietly, her mood sinking below the pavement beneath her feet. Moonbyul clapped a comforting hand on Seulgi’s shoulder and they started walking again. Her roommate whistled low between her teeth, shaking her head slowly. “She’s really clouding your thought processes, huh? Well, that’s alright.” Seulgi’s sulking expression remained, undeterred by Moonbyul’s kind gesture.

“Don’t let it get to you too much. Joohyun mentioned she only works during the weekends, right? Last I heard, you have an essay and an exam due next week.” Seulgi gave her a blank look, still not entirely seeing where Moonbyul was going with this. She wags an eyebrow at Seulgi suggestively, “Sounds to me like you know exactly what your plans for tomorrow are, Seul. You can head down in the afternoon, pick out a book or something, write your number on your receipt.”

“Moonbyul, you’re an absolute genius.”

The silver haired girl threw back her head, laughter echoing off of the street shop doors. “Yeah, yeah. Let’s just hope my plan works out this time, hm?” The pair fall silent, focusing on keeping themselves from freezing alive for the rest of the way back.

“Thanks for braving the cold with me, by the way. I think Yongsun’s really going to like this,” Moonbyul said as they rode up to their floor in the elevator. “No problem,” Seulgi replied. “That’s what friends are for, dummy.”

**

“She didn’t write her number?” Yeri sputtered, sending droplets of her iced Americano splattering over her friends. The three of them recoiled in shock, shielding themselves a millisecond too late from the spray.

“Oh. My. God,” Sooyoung gasped, balling her hands up into fists. Her eyes flared with hellfire. The youngest of the four of them blinked back at her with a wide-eyed, innocent face. “Yerim.” Just as the taller girl looked like she was about to lunge over the table, Seungwan gently grabbed at her wrist.

“Here,” the Canadian murmured, smothering Sooyoug’s hand with a napkin. With her other hand, she was daubing at the side of her face. “Try using this instead of a right uppercut. Might be more effective.” Sooyoung’s hardened expression softened considerably, her cheeks dusted over with pink. “Thank you,” she murmured, uncurling her fists to accept the napkin.

“Yeri, if you spit on us again, you are walking home, young lady,” Joohyun said, eerily calm for someone who’s entire face was doused in her friend’s espresso riddled spittle. She’d sent off a few frantic texts to her friends once she’d returned to her post at the front desk, alerting them of Seulgi’s unexpected arrival. The four of them arranged to meet up at the Tea Leaf after her shift for Joohyun to, quite literally, spill the tea.

“Sorry,” Yeri said meekly, flashing everyone an apologetic smile.

They turned back to Joohyun.

“No, she didn’t,” The oldest of them smacked the newspaper Seulgi used to jot the bar names down face down onto the table. “You can double check if you like.” Permission granted, Yeri snatched the paper up and started pouring over it.

“Her handwriting is pretty,” she offers lamely, passing it over to Sooyoung. “It’s kind of insane looking, though. Looks like she took calligraphy or something.”

“What was her behavior like?” Seungwan asked diplomatically. She was doing her best to maintain her optimism for Joohyun’s sake. She didn’t like how everyone’s moods had deflated the moment it was revealed Seulgi hadn’t given Joohyun her number. From what she was hearing, it was possible Seulgi could’ve just been too embarrassed by her roommate to have asked. “Did she seem more reserved than usual?”

Joohyun was quiet for a moment. “Now that you mention it...I do suppose Moonbyul’s teasing was getting Seulgi rather flustered.” A smug look crossed Seungwan’s features. “Ah-hah!” the Canadian exclaimed, “I knew it. That’s got to be it. Her roommate, Moonbyul, sounds like she was just having fun with the situation. Hell, it sounds like something Yeri or Sooyoung would do if we ran into Seulgi.” Sooyoung and Yeri proceeded to throw death glares her way.

“Guys, I mean that in a good way! It’s endearing!” Seungwan protested. Sooyoung wordlessly handed her the newspaper, refusing to meet the Canadian’s puppy dog eyes. “I agree with Yeri, her handwriting is really nice,” she says, looking over at Joohyun. “I think Seungwan’s onto something, too. With all the teasing her roommate was doing, it seemed like Moonbyul practically knew you before she’d even met you.”

Yeri nods along, “Yeah! And don’t even try to pull ‘what if Seulgi was just saying she met a new friend’ or some bull like that. Moonbyul knew way too much for Seulgi to consider you just a friend.” Slowly, the spirits huddled around the tiny cafe table lifted. Seungwan smoothly slides the newspaper back to Joohyun, triumphant she’d managed to brighten the mood with her optimism.

“Oh, yeah, Jeongyeon said something interesting before I clocked out,” Joohyun murmured.

“What?”

“ She said Seulgi seemed interested in me,” Joohyun murmured. “Nayeon agreed, she said that Seulgi hardly looked away from me practically the entire time we were talking. It was kind of odd, seeing them agree on something for once.”

Comically, Yeri spews out her drink once more.

“Dude!”

“Yeri what did I tell you!”

“Not you trying to ruin another one of my favorite sweaters, Yerim!”

Yeri snatches up a fistful of napkins and sheepishly offers them to her friends.

“Um...Please don’t make me walk to my dorm?”

**

Kang Seulgi sat up in her bed, her copy of A Clockwork Orange clutched in her hands. Though her eyes remained glued to the page, she wasn’t actually reading. The girl was lost in her own thoughts, replaying back moments from Gem on Gangnam. She and Moonbyul had cooked dinner once they’d gotten home but she’d been zoning out during most of it, too. Moonbyul didn’t seem to mind, she was well aware of Seulgi’s conflicting thoughts.

If you asked any of Seulgi’s friends about her, they’d tell you she was never one to stutter or stall. She was a straightforward, confident young woman who knew exactly what she wanted. She was wicked smart, skilled in both science and math, but also thoroughly enjoyed the arts. Painting and photography and reading took up much of her free time when she wasn’t working on homework. According to her friends, she was a regular Picasso.

When Seulgi set her heart on something, she did anything she could to make it happen. More often than not, things worked in her favor when she set her mind to them. Seulgi maintained a somewhat detached, laid back disposition amongst strangers which often served to further amplify people’s interest in her. When around new people, she preferred to watch and listen, to learn more about them before speaking her thoughts.

She was intimidating, charismatic, charming, attractive, and hilarious. When you truly got to know her, you’d see Seulgi was nothing more than a soft hearted goofball. Nothing made Seulgi happier than joking around with her friends and making them laugh. Her personal role in their friend group was the one who cheered everybody else up. She was the ‘funny’ friend. Even if she wasn’t feeling a hundred percent herself, she still gave her all for the people she was close to.

The duality of her nature made her seem even more appealing. Since her freshman year in high school, Seulgi had a handful of relationships. With her past experience, she became well-versed in the matters of winning over someone’s heart. Her last relationship hadn’t turned out well, however. This latest failure was something that hurt her deeper than any had before.

She’d been cheated on, lied to, reassured that nothing was going on. The relationship itself had lasted almost a year. They’d graduated together but attended different universities, and that’s where most of the trouble began. Previously, Seulgi had always been the one breaking up with her partners. But the roles were reversed in a twisted, dark manner.

After what happened, she mainly focused on herself. She took precautions in ensuring she was healing properly, building herself back up again bit by bit. She took care of herself and did whatever she could to feel like herself again. If anything, that only increased people’s interest in her. Seulgi brushed off her admirers and kept to herself, she hadn’t looked for anything serious since that breakup.

Although many people told her what an amazing person she was, Seulgi was starting to lose confidence. She’d started college off fearlessly despite not having an overall plan of what career path she wanted to choose. Many of her peers told her she had plenty of time to think about what she wanted to do and she believed them. But a year had passed in a blink of an eye and Seulgi was still just clueless as to when she’d arrived at SM University.

She had spent her time in vain searching her mind and heart inside and out for any indicator of what she wanted to do for the rest of her life. But no matter how hard she tried, everything came up as one giant blank. Her brain simply refused to process that key information. On top of that, every time she visited her family, her parents pestered her about the future. Where do you want to move to after university? What do you want to be doing once you graduate? Have you been looking for a real job, yet?

It was overwhelming. There was so much on her plate. She was in the honors college, she tutored other students three days a week, studied her hardest, and it still felt like she wasn’t doing enough. Seulgi was doing her best to hand;e everything at once but sometimes it felt like the world was crashing down on her shoulders. Ever since she met Joohyun, Seulgi hadn’t been able to stop thinking about how nice it would be nice to have someone to share the weight with her.

To have Joohyun listen to her worries and fears, to help ease the burden she carried. Tell Seulgi she loved her, to have her reassure her. Her friends were always willing to lend an ear, give advice where they could, and make sure Seulgi didn’t self-depreciate too much. But there’s only so much you can ask a friend to do, a limit to that kind of intimacy of fulling knowing a person.

The night she’d confided in Joohyun what was on her mind, Seulgi felt certain she was falling for the other woman. Despite the two of them being literal strangers, Seulgi found it easy to open up to Joohyun. That was out of the norm for her, seeing as she liked to keep her circle of friends tight. Yet she had truly spoken her mind on such a sensitive topic with barely a second thought.

Maybe she’d felt obligated to after Joohyun had shown her that secret little spot in the library. An eye for an eye, tic for tat. But she knew it was deeper than tactfulness. Something drew Seulgi to Joohyun the moment she spotted her. A yearning arose in her heart so strongly, Seulgi felt the hair stand on the back of her neck. Her attraction only grew at Joohyun’s thoughtful, caring response. Joohyun was a good person, Seulgi was sure of it.

To some extent, Seulgi realized she afraid of rejection from Joohyun, too. This was the first time in a long time she genuinely felt a connection with someone. She really wanted things to work out between her and Joohyun but was terrified that they wouldn’t. Her friends reassured her there were many signs that her interest in Joohyun was mutual, but that didn’t stop the tiny voice of doubt from working its way into her head.

Wouldn’t it be tragic if Joohyun didn’t feel the same? Wouldn’t that feeling merely be amplified if all the signs were there and Joohyun still rejected her? Seulgi bit her lip. All of these unanswered questions were getting her nowhere. She was working herself up again. The girl heaved herself up off her bed and moved to her desk, looking for any sort of distraction she could muster up. She’d already finished her homework for the day, maybe she could watch a movie or something?

A knock came at her bedroom door. Seulgi paused.

“Come in,” she called out, her voice deflated. She hoped Moonbyul wasn’t planning on teasing her about before. Moonbyul opened the bedroom door slowly. She balancing a platter of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies in the crook of her elbow and holding twin cups of steaming hot chocolate. Seulgi cracked a tiny smile at the sight of her best friend’s juggling act. She waved the other girl in, took the platter of cookies from her, and set it down on top of her desk.

“I made some goodies for us! Eating’s always made you feel better, Seul. I figured what better way to cheer you up than some homemade cookies.” She gestures over to the plate of steaming cookies. “Well, they’re the storebought kind but I did roll them out and bake them, so it still counts.” Seulgi snorts softly, taking a cookie and sinking her teeth into it. She hummed in appreciation and grabbed three more. “So, um, do you wanna talk about what happened earlier?” Moonbyul asked, her voice twinged with a careful hopefulness.

She held out a mug to Seulgi, who took it gratefully. “Or maybe we could watch Before Sunrise? I know it’s your favorite.” Seulgi’s heart melts at her roommate’s kindness. “You’re full of good ideas today,” she tells her roommate. “But Before Sunrise can wait, I think I’ll take you up on talking.” At this, Moonbyul brightens considerably. They sit on the edge of Seulgi’s bed, quietly sipping on their hot chocolate and chowing down on the cookies. Moonbyul waits patiently for Seulgi to start, quietly munching and slurping.

Hours later, Moonbyul stands and stretches out her limbs. She stifles a yawn with the back of her hand and moves to gather their dishes. She shoves the wads of used tissue into her sweatpants pockets. Seulgi had broken out into tears a handful of times, confessing about how burdened she felt about the future and how much she wanted her and Joohyun to become something more.

Seulgi rubbed at her weary eyes, ready to fall asleep right then and there. She flopped down onto her bed with a satisfied sigh. “Ready for bed, huh?” Moonbyul teased, making her way towards the door. Realizing her friend was about to turn in for the night, Seulgi sat up abruptly.

“Hey, um, Byul?” she called out. Her friend turned around, a patient smile playing across her lips. “Thank you. For the cookies and the hot chocolate and listening to me ramble. It helped me a lot. I really appreciate you. ”

“No worries,” Moonbyul shrugged. She opened the bedroom door and shot her a sly wink. “That’s what friends are for.”

**

Seulgi wakes up the next morning feeling refreshed. That late night heart to heart with Moonbyul had helped set her mind at ease. She felt well-rested for the first time in a long time, more than ready to see Joohyun again. Anticipation rippled through her. It was ten o’clock in the morning. A flock of pigeons was softly cooing outside her window. The sun was peering down at her from behind puffs of clouds.

At the thought of seeing Joohyun again, Seulgi’s face broke out into a wide, uninhibited grin. She giggled to herself and threw the covers over her head to cover the sound like a child. It was nice, having a crush. It’d been so long, Seulgi had almost forgotten what it was like. Today was shaping up to be a good day already, she decided cheerfully.

After she showered, Seulgi decided to change into something comfortable but classy. While she debated on what she was going to wear, she rehearsed the grand plan to herself. That afternoon, she was going to head to Gem on Gangnam. Seulgi sorted through her wardrobe and plucked out a trusty pair of black, high waisted skinny jeans. She might browse around a bit until she found something she liked. Seulgi opened another drawer and rummaged around until she drew out a maroon turtleneck.

She would march up to the front counter, purchase whatever caught her fancy, and give her number to Joohyun. Seulgi turned to her closet and pulled her warmest, black wool peacoat off its hanger. Then, she would ask Joohyun if she wanted to go to the Tea Leaf. She’d almost shut her closet when she spotted a mustard colored cashmere scarf and added that to her outfit of choice.

Once she’d dressed, she looked herself over in the mirror. Another surge of confidence came over her as she studied her reflection. I look...good, Seulgi smiled to herself. She threw her hair up in a loose knotted bun, leaving her fringe of bangs to frame her face elegantly. Now she looked every part of the mature, reserved kind of woman she wanted to portray.

As she sprayed on her perfume, she could hear the faint sound of the radio crackling from the kitchen. From the heavenly scent wafting through the apartment, it seemed Moonbyul was cooking. Seulgi left her room and headed for the kitchen. When she peered around the kitchen corner, she caught sight of Moonbyul manning their tiny stove. Yongsun was whirling about the room, her presence surprising Seulgi a little. She hadn’t heard the other woman arrive.

“Seulgi! Leaving for the bookstore already?” Moonbyul called from the stovetop. The silver haired girl was beaming at her from over her shoulder. Yongsun looked up from stirring her cup of coffee and flashed a welcoming smile in Seulgi’s direction. “In a little, yeah. It’s only noon,” Seulgi replied. “Oh, good. I made all of us some lunch,” Moonbyul waves a hand towards the kitchen table.

“We’ll set the table, you go ahead and sit.” Unable to deny herself her roommate’s insanely good cooking skills, Seulgi dragged herself up a chair. Yongsun followed her, taking a seat across from her. She set a bowl of freshly cut strawberries down on the table along with her cup of coffee.

“Morning, Yongsun,” she said by way of greeting.

“Afternoon, Seul. You’re looking sharp today,” Yongsun greeted warmly.

“Thanks, gotta dress to impress, right?”

“Yeah...it’d be nice if someone I knew did the same sometimes,” Yongsun said teasingly, voice pointed at her girlfriend. “Wait, honey, are you saying you don’t think I dress nice?” Moonbyul whined. Yongsun and Seulgi cracked up together, popping a few strawberries into their mouths. Hearing the sound of their laughter, Moonbyul clicked her tongue. “It’s too early for jokes, guys! I haven’t even had my coffee yet.”

“We’re sorry, sweetie. No more joking around, I promise,” Yongsun called out sincerely. She took a sip of her coffee and munched on another strawberry thoughtfully. She and Moonbyul had been dating ever since Seulgi had met Moonbyul. Seulgi liked to think, eons and eons of past lives ago, they had always been together. Their chemistry was undeniably always off the charts, palpable around them no matter where they went or who they were with.

Yongsun lived up to her name by exuding a unique warmth around everyone she met. She was like a living, breathing ray of sunshine. She was summer personified. She complimented Moonbyul’s personality to a tee. Although Yongsun was two years older than her, she’d always treated Seulgi as if they were equals. The moment they met, they’d become fast friends.

“Are you guys going out later?” Seulgi asked, quirking a brow at her. She noticed the other two were dressed up, too. “Yeah, we figured we’d do some window shopping and get some takeout. Maybe grab a movie downtown,” Yongsun replied.

As if on cue, her girlfriend brought over bowls of garlic fried rice, a platter of fried eggs, and two mugs of green tea for her and Seulgi. They enjoyed their meal together, showering their chef with compliments. Moonbyul was many things, but most of all she was an amazing cook, Seulgi had to give her that. Seulgi cleared up the dishes with Yongsun while Moonbyul went off to take a shower. They work in tandem, Seulgi spraying and scrubbing down the pots and pans while Yongsun dries them off with a dishrag.

“You can go,” Yongsun says after a bit. “It’s almost two. Don’t want to miss your girl, right?” Seulgi hesitates, staring down at the last couple of dishes piled up in the sink. It wouldn’t take more than a second to finish them at the rate they were going. “Are you sure?” She asks, “I don’t mind.”

“I insist.” Yongsun shoos her away, her behavior reminding Seulgi a little of her mother. “Go finish getting ready, Seul.” She doesn’t need to be told twice. She nods and heads back to her room. She ensures she has all the necessary textbooks and notebooks in her backpack, double checks her reflection, then makes her way to the foyer. She grabs her boots and enters the kitchen once more.

“Leaving?” Yongsun asked, pushing herself off the kitchen counter.

“Yep!” Seulgi finished pulling on her boots. She unzipped her backpack and safely stowed her phone, wallet, and keys into its depths. The water in Moonbyul’s bathroom was still running. Seulgi knew Moonbyul would want to reassure her about meeting Joohyun, but she’d done more than enough last night. “Good, good. How’re you feeling?” Yongsun asked carefully, folding her hands over her coffee mug. She’d refilled her cup, a fellow caffeine fiend.

Seulgi had no doubt Moonbyul had already filled her in on yesterday’s events. “A little excited. A little scared,” Seulgi mulled the question over. “Less nervous than scared, though. Moonbyul gave me a lot of good pointers last night.” Yongsun nods along, listening attentively, “She’s great at that.” Seulgi hums, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. A tremor of nervousness shot through her suddenly. It wasn’t much of a walk to Gem on Gangnam. She’d be met with her fate quickly, at least.

Yongsun seemed to sense her anxieties, giving her a tiny smile, tinged with melancholy. “I’m not as good as Moonbyul at giving advice, but guess I just wanted to let you know...try not to let yourself get too much in your own head,” she says finally. She walks over and places an arm around Seulgi’s shoulders, steering them in the direction of the front door.

“Moonbyul and I can tell what’s going on beneath that quiet exterior of yours, despite how you might think you’ve got everyone else fooled,” Yongsun says lightly. They come to a stop in the foyer. “You’re up for this. I know you are. Everything’s going to work itself out. All you have to do is go with the flow, Seulgi.” Seulgi nods her head, heeding the older woman’s word. She was grateful for any advice she could get. “Now then,” Yongsun said, pointing at the door. “Go get your girl.”

**

Joohyun wasn’t expecting to see Seulgi again so soon but she wasn’t complaining about it by any means. She’d been distracted all day, much to Jeongyeon and Nayeon’s amusement. The moment she clocked in, the teasing started up. Luckily, most of the time Joohyun was already too zoned out to really hear what her coworkers were saying. Flashbacks of Seulgi and her roommate kept circulating in her mind. Seulgi’s laughter, Seulgi’s blushing, Seulgi’s shyness, Seulgi, Seulgi, Seulgi.

The new side of the mysterious girl was unlike Joohyun’s first impression of her. She figured Seulgi as someone who never failed to maintain her outwardly chic persona or have a witty, sly comeback ready to fire off. But yesterday, Seulgi seemed more like herself. Because of her bashfulness, she seemed less intimidating, less like the superhuman Joohyun had begun to build her up as in her head. Seulgi was just like her, she got nervous and shy, too.

Joohyun absentmindedly flipped through A Clockwork Orange. In the future, she hoped she would have more opportunities to see Seulgi like that. Seulgi with all her colorful character. The store phone rang. Startled, Joohyun dropped her book onto the counter. She reached for the handle, clearing her throat to prepare her customer service voice.

“Joohyun!” Jeongyeon called out from the back of the store, “I’ll get it!” Joohyun settled back into her thoughts. Nayeon was making her rounds through the store. A group of secondary school kids had wandered in to escape the biting chill of the February wind. In the process, they’d also meddled with a few of the displays, but that was to be expected of children. Joohyun helped them make a few selections while Nayeon hastily tidied up.

Because there wasn’t a shipment for them to put away, the three of them cycled through their various tasks for the day. Dusting off the shelves, making sure books were in the proper places, ensuring they were in alphabetic order, packaging online orders for shipping or in-store pick up, that kind of thing. It was just another slow day at Gem on Gangnam, only this time, Joohyun was leaving earlier than usual. She had an hour left before she clocked out when Seulgi stepped into the bookstore.

Joohyun wasn’t used to feeling the hours of her shift drag on like this. She truly loved her job, but she couldn’t wait to be free for the day. Her backpack was lying on the floor in the back breakroom amongst Jeongyeon and Nayeon’s purses. After her shift, Joohyun planned to go to the Tea Leaf and get some much needed studying and reading done. She’d picked a new book for herself from yesterday’s shipment - Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown.

Nayeon and Jeongyeon had been talking excitedly about it while Joohyun clocked in. Though they often bickered over book recommendations, both young women had insisted on Joohyun checking it out. Nayeon snatched up a fresh copy from the display table nearest to the front register.

“This is the gay coming of age story you didn’t know you needed until now,” the brunette said, thrusting the paperback into Joohyun’s hands. Jeongyeon was nodding furiously at her, “I didn’t read much LGBTQ+ fiction before I came out but this book does a fantastic job on shedding light on a lot of topics society tends to shy away from.” According to the duo, the book deals with themes of sexuality, identity, the need for labels, and the struggles of women.

Thought provoking works of fiction were Joohyun’s weakness. Bonus points for the pretty book cover art. Perks of being a bookstore employee was that she got first dibs on the latest stock and at half the price. Much to her coworkers’ satisfaction, Joohyun purchased a copy right then and there. She was eager to get started on it. Her class was nearly done with A Clockwork Orange, which she was grateful for. It was perhaps one of the few books to actually get underneath her skin. Seulgi had been right, she was in for a surprise. She didn’t know how much more of the book she could take.

The bells chimed, snapping Joohyun back into the present.

“Welcome in!” she called, conveying as much artificial liveliness she could muster into the phrase. Joohyun discreetly hid her book behind the counter and turned to the customer walking up to the register. “Seulgi!” she exclaimed, unable to hold back her surprise. She took in the sight of the other girl with bated breath, eyes trailing down her chic outfit. Joohyun hadn’t seen Seulgi with her hair up before, it complimented the features of her face beautifully.

“Back so soon? You didn’t forget anything while you were here yesterday, did you?” Joohyun joked, her heart pounding at the sight of her. Seulgi shook her head, wringing her hands together. “No, I, uh, forgot to give you something when I was here yesterday,” she murmured as if mustering as much strength as she could. Joohyun’s startled expression morphed into one of anticipation, “You did?” A few ideas flit through her head as to what Seulgi could mean.

“Yes! But first, I was wondering if you had any book recommendations to give me? I’ve been meaning to get a new book for a while.” The longer Seulgi went on, the more confident she became. Her posture relaxed, all traces of nervous energy having left her body. “I see,” Joohyun rested her chin in her hand, thinking for a moment. “I was heading to the Tea Leaf to study,” Seulgi added as an afterthought.“Figured I’d pop in for a book. Doesn’t hurt that I’d get to see you again, too.”

Joohyun tilted her head at Seulgi’s newfound cheekiness and quirked an eyebrow at her. “Can’t argue with that logic! I have been told I’m rather irresistible.” She shoots Seulgi a wink (yes, she’d been practicing) and said, “I do think I have something that might interest you - one of the books that came in yesterday’s shipment.” She stepped out from behind the counter and beckoned Seulgi to follow her. They walked through the store side by side, close enough for Joohyun to catch another breath of Seulgi’s intoxicating perfume.

They stopped at the display tables and Joohyun reached out and grabbed a paperback from a table labeled New Arrivals. It had a teal colored cover, decorated with green vines and a singular lipstick stamp below the title. She passed it over to Seulgi. “This one.”

“Rubyfruit Jungle?” Seulgi read aloud. She squinted down at the cover. She’d never heard of it.

“I haven’t read it before but I feel like you’d enjoy it. Nayeon and Jeongyeon got me to buy a copy earlier. Maybe we could read it together?”

“It sounds compelling enough,” Seulgi said. She flipped the book over and was looking over the inscription on the back.“What’s it all about?”

“Nayeon, my coworker, described it as a coming age for the gays,” Joohyun laughed nervously, watching for Seulgi’s reaction carefully. “It’s got some really cool themes to it, too.”

“Say no more,” Seulgi chuckled. “You had me at ‘for the gays’.”

“Alright, cool! Is there anything else I can help you with?” Joohyun asked hopefully, wanting to spend more time with the girl. Seulgi shook her head, “I think this will do for now. I swear, if I weren’t a broke college kid, I think I’d buy half the store.” They share a laugh and Joohyun led them back to the front counter. “You’re going to the Tea Leaf after this, right?” Joohyun said, biting her lip. A brilliant idea had struck her as she stepped back behind the register.

“Yeah. Figured I could try out that chai tea latte you were talking about, too,” Seulgi said with a smile. She passed Joohyun the book to be scanned and rung up. “Funny, I was thinking of doing the same thing after work. I even brought my backpack to work,” Joohyun commented offhandedly. She steeled her nerves with the pep talk her friends had given yesterday and decided to go for it.

What was the worst that could happen? Seulgi could say no, and then what? They’d sit at separate tables or something? She glanced at Seulgi as she rang her up, found the younger girl’s looking intently at her. “Maybe we could go together? I’ve got like twenty minutes left of my shift. I could meet you there after I’m done here?”

“Yes!” Seulgi replied quickly, pulling her wallet out of her backpack. “That sounds perfect! I’d love that. Company’s always appreciated.”

“Okay!”

“Okay!”

The register dings. Joohyun looks away to glance at the price.

“It’ll be, uh, $16.”

Seulgi hands her credit card over and they both blush when their fingers brush together. They don’t notice Nayeon and Jeongyeon watching the whole thing a few feet away, hiding behind the bookshelves. They keep elbowing each other forward to get a better view, enjoying spying on the two lovebirds. She hands Seulgi the receipt and a gel pen, fascinated by the concentration in Seulgi’s eyes.

“I’ll see you soon, then?” Seulgi says, scribbling away.

“Yeah!” Joohyun took a look at the clock behind her and did a quick calculation. “Fifteen minutes to go, then I’m off.” When she turned back around, Seulgi had set the pen back down. The receipt had been signed, the book swept up in her hands.

“Okay, I’ll grab us a table,” Seulgi replied, edging towards the door. “I’ll wait to order until you get there, though.” Joohyun only realized she was grinning ear to ear when her smile started to falter.

“Wait, wasn’t there something you were forgetting to give me or?” Joohyun called out, suddenly remembering the other girl’s words.

Seulgi shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly. “I think I’ve got it covered now.” And with that, she confidently pushed out of Gem on Gangnam and crossed the street to the Tea Leaf. Joohyun watches her go, transfixed at what had transpired. She had a coffee date with Seulgi in fifteen minutes. They were going to read Rubyfruit Jungle together. Holy shit, okay, you can do this.

But what did Seulgi mean, what did she have covered? Joohyun frowned to herself, then turned her attention to the store copy of Seulgi’s receipt. Before she threw it away, she gave the flimsy paper a cursory glance over and felt her heart freeze. Was that-?

“Did what I think just happen actually happen?” Nayeon squealed in delight. She and Jeongyeon emerged from behind the bookshelves. “You guys are adorable,” Jeongyeon admitted begrudgingly as Nayeon dragged her behind the counter. They hovered beside Joohyun, fighting to see her reaction. But their coworker paid them no mind, too preoccupied with reading Seulgi’s receipt to even hear them approaching.

“Oh my god,” Joohyun breathed out quietly. She drew the paper so close to her that her nose brushed against the parchment. There was no denying it. She wasn’t just imagining it. There, at the very bottom, was Seulgi’s phone number. A note was scribbled above it:

I forgot to ask for your number yesterday - Moonbyul was chewing me out the entire way home so I figured I’d come back today and fix that. Now we can figure out a day and time for Thai! - Kang Seulgi.

“Joohyun?” She heard Nayeon say, clearly concerned. Her voice sounded far away. “Are you okay? You’re as red as a tomato.”

“Kang Seulgi,” Joohyun mumbled underneath her breath.

Nayeon smacked Jeongyeon on the arm. “Hey, why are you just standing there, go check up on her! What if she has a fever or something?” Jeongyeon gave her an incredulous look, “Oh, so you want me to get sick now?” She shook her head stubbornly. “You’re the oldest, unnie. I’ll get the med kit, but if anyone’s catching Joohyun’s cooties, it’s you!” Jeongyeon darted off towards the backroom and Nayeon placed a tentative hand on Joohyun’s arm.

“Joohyun…?”

The wide eyed girl finally acknowledged her. “I-I got her number! Seulgi’s number! She wrote it down on her receipt before she left!”

Nayeon’s mouth dropped open. “Jeong, get up here! Right now!” She bellowed, deep voice echoing throughout the books. “Holy shit, okay! I’m coming!” Jeongyeon yelled back in distress. Her footsteps pounded against the floor. “Is Joohyun alright? Should we call an ambulance? Should we call our boss?” She ran up to them, first aid kit banging at her leg. Clearly out of breath, she glanced between Nayeon and Joohyun.

“Joohyun’s fine, Jeong! Look, Seulgi gave her her number!” Nayeon screeched, clutching her hands against her chest. “It’s straight out of a k-drama!” She wraps Joohyun up in a tight hug, squealing with joy. “Wait, that’s it? That’s why you screamed bloody murder?” Jeongyeon wheezed, “I thought she was dying, Nayeon.”

She pinches the bridge of her nose and bends over, trying to catch her breath. She looks up a moment later and flashes Joohyun a thumbs up. She turned on her heel, heading towards the breakroom to put back the first aid kit. “Congrats, Joohyun. I’m putting in my two weeks’,” was all Jeongyeon said. “What! Jeongyeon!” Nayeon thundered. She freed Joohyun from her grasp and chased after the blue haired girl with a vengeance.

Joohyun remained frozen, standing there with the receipt in her hands. Another customer walked in, and she neatly tucked the slip of paper into her back pocket. For the last few minutes of her shift, she couldn’t stop smiling even if she tried. She was too preoccupied with thoughts of coffee and books and Kang Seulgi.


End file.
